Mr. Woodcrest, we must note that Ohio has only once participated in funding an intercity train - and that was the first incarnation of the Lake Shore June 71 to Feb 72 (or thereabouts). Further, even if their auto industry traffic dependent lines through the state have seen volume greatly diminished, and hence they might even appreciate whatever payments a passenger train would put in the till at the moment, the railroad industry knows that traffic will recover (even if the plant at which autos are loaded now has a "Circle T" painted on the water tower in place of a Pentagonal crest). Their predecessors got snookered once into what I refer to as "The Faustian Pact with the Devil", and I don't think contemporary managers, absent proper remuneration, are about to allow such to reoccur over lines where passenger trains have been gone since A-Day.
While I recognize that the Plain Dealer reported the spokesman for the group advocating the service noted “the railroads are on board’, I would prefer to have a comment from an industry spokesman included within the reportage.
To establish a Corridor system modeled after what the CCC&StL operated through the '50's, is quite consistent with DPM's vision of passenger service (his vision was hardly NARP's); it is also consistent with my personal thoughts on 21st century needs for passenger service. However, if such is to move forth it will not be without massive public funding for additional track capacity - and railroad managements receptive to having those improvements made on their property. At this time, with an economy in the tank second only to that of Michigan, the people of Ohio have more pressing issues on the plate than passenger trains.
Last edited by Gilbert B Norman on Tue Dec 09, 2008 9:13 am, edited 2 times in total.
