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FAA is allowing empty passenger planes to now carry cargo on the empty seats so they can collect some revenue. This is creative thinking. Why can't Amtrak do this?

https://www.faa.gov/coronavirus/regulat ... /18561.pdf

You answered your own question. Creative thinking.

Is Amtrak filling their baggage cars to capacity?...

Note that airlines are only doing this on flights being operated as freighters. There aren’t passengers on these.

You might want to read RPSA 70, and revisit Amtrak Mail and Express. Freight belongs to the Class Is.

Two Factors

1.) Logistics

Many airports already have freight terminals and other infrastructure to process freight shipments. How many Amtrak stations have the same? Even those that do checked baggage, are they in the position to move volume freight?

2.) Speed

Airplanes are simply faster than trains. Why pay a premium to put mail on trains that take days to reach their destination when you can get it there in hours on a plane?

Somewhere here, there's a thread on using the Acelas for high priority mail on the NEC.
And in fact, I've heard of couriers doing just this. For some documents and items, a 1st class ticket on Acela is worth it to get the document to its destination in time.

I think one of the ideas that was hit upon was basically an oversized filing cabinet sized "mail pouch" that could be wheeled on and off. Pound for pound it could make far more than having a passenger there.

That said, right now, if Amtrak wanted to pick up some cargo, they've got the baggage cars. Promote them. I'm still waiting for the day I can get on a train in Albany, with my bike and the same day change trains in NYP to points south. Right now, the only option is to catch the previous day's LSL.

British rail used to do this in 2 ways. On country routes , part of the DMU (usually the wheelchair/ bicycle area , would be roped off and filled with parcels . a crew member would sit with them . This was in the days of BR's Redstar parcel service been the fastest and premium parcel delivery service in the UK.The other version i saw , was at nite at London Victoria Commuter EMU's were parked at the station , and each compartment had mailbags tosses into it , by railworkers. That rolling stock and service long gone , I would say , though some dedicated mail trains still exist.
I would imagine Greg's courier rolling on a trolley to NEC points seems the only possible Amtrak service. Its an ideal combo with bicycle couriers , but the train riders probably wouldnt take their bike on the train.

Nothing new. As I have been where it was done during high traffic times. Especially Christmas , mother's day etc. Been done since the 1960s as far as I am aware. Probably as long as airplanes carried both passengers and US mail.

They've always carried mail in the cargo hold of the plane but this is new/unique in that they will actually be placing mail in the seating area where passengers normally sit. This required special exemption and paperwork.

planespotting wrote: ↑Sat May 23, 2020 11:24 am They've always carried mail in the cargo hold of the plane but this is new/unique in that they will actually be placing mail in the seating area where passengers normally sit. This required special exemption and paperwork.

I loaded too many aircraft in the passenger locations for years including up to 2018. All it probably took was a letter to the POI for every airline.

Follow up carrying freight in passenger cabin is in the operation specs of the airlines I am aware of.

With all of this talk about carrying mail on passenger trains, then why can't Amtrak regain its contract with the U.S. mail to be carried in the baggage car, or maybe even a mail car?!

Pensyfan19 wrote: ↑Sat May 23, 2020 4:12 pm With all of this talk about carrying mail on passenger trains, then why can't Amtrak regain its contract with the U.S. mail to be carried in the baggage car, or maybe even a mail car?!

Moderator Note: asked and answered in many other threads.

planespotting wrote: ↑Fri May 22, 2020 6:07 pmFAA is allowing empty passenger planes to now carry cargo on the empty seats so they can collect some revenue. This is creative thinking. Why can't Amtrak do this?

I'd love to see someone bulk-load package freight into a Superliner coach...

The last time I checked there are no stairs that passengers use on the interior of a Boeing 737/Airbus A320. Standard airport vehicles/equipment can be used to bring the freight up to door level.

wigwagfan wrote: ↑Mon May 25, 2020 11:16 pm I'd love to see someone bulk-load package freight into a Superliner coach...

The last time I checked there are no stairs that passengers use on the interior of a Boeing 737/Airbus A320. Standard airport vehicles/equipment can be used to bring the freight up to door level.

Use a ramp up to the enddoor similar to loading an AutoTrain carrier......then roll out a conveyor like they are using here to load this passenger '777.
https://youtu.be/SeM6-15zufg