by BandA
I think there is a need for some technology and operational improvements that make it less costly to do switching as well as better timekeeping, in order to support more LD.
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BandA wrote: ↑Fri Feb 19, 2021 6:27 am I think there is a need for some technology and operational improvements that make it less costly to do switching as well as better timekeeping, in order to support more LD.Let’s start with an easy one. There’s a reason European railroads use double ended locomotives, or center cabs. If Amtrak isn’t going to hire switching crews at significant stations, at least it can be an easier task to switch.
BandA wrote: ↑Fri Feb 19, 2021 6:27 am I think there is a need for some technology and operational improvements that make it less costly to do switching as well as better timekeeping, in order to support more LD.Better timekeeping is key - having trains that are routinely hours late makes the network much less useable unless it is just treated as a cruise train for us old folks that don't need to be anywhere at a given time. Whatever this takes - financial incentives for the freight railroads, or cracking down on those that routinely delay Amtrak trains - probably both a carrot and stick approach is needed.
John_Perkowski wrote: ↑Fri Feb 19, 2021 12:10 pm Let’s start with an easy one. There’s a reason European railroads use double ended locomotives, or center cabs. If Amtrak isn’t going to hire switching crews at significant stations, at least it can be an easier task to switch.It would be easy enough to run locomotives back to back... but I suspect union workrules might prohibit a road crew from performing switching duties, especially if those duties are in-scope for a different union or classification.
Arborwayfan wrote: ↑Fri Feb 19, 2021 1:10 pmThis has come up before, and I know there's a discussion around here that covers an experiment done as I recall that basically had the diner open pretty much "all day" and how it did better cost recovery. I think a cafe car still has its place for simpler stuff, but say a later boarder wants a decent burger at 3:00 PM... sell it to them.
Replace some current LDs with day corridors connecting seamlessly with each other and with a few strategically placed 10-12-hour overnight trains without major food service on routes with a lot of potential overnight demand. Figure out the most cost effective way to sell people decent food (including figuring out what kinds of good food can be sold most economically on a train) in one pleasant car that serves hot food constantly (self serve or takeout), rather than the cheapest way to run a dining car on three-full-meals-at-stated-hours AND a cafe car with sometimes erratic hours and a heavy emphasis on snackish food.
Alphaboi wrote: ↑Fri Feb 19, 2021 6:39 pm Amtrak always passengers to travel the NEC on LDs now, but the Silver Service is truncated to Washington DC then it would be, pending equipment availability, to run with Superliners. That would equal shorter trains and Amtrak would be able to use Miami Intermodel. I like the idea of strategically timed night trains.Take a long look at these links on ridership for the Silver trains.
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TurningOfTheWheel wrote: ↑Sun Feb 21, 2021 5:15 pmTraffic demand must drive where Amtrak creates routes. Amtrak needs to do it’s traffic demand homework.
I would definitely create more N-S corridors west of the Mississippi. For example: MSP-Des Moines-KCY-TOP-Texas and/or ELP-Albuquerque-DEN-Cheyenne.
TurningOfTheWheel wrote: ↑Sun Feb 21, 2021 5:15 pm From an operations standpoint, I think it makes sense to create a nationwide network of regional corridors and let those influence your LD routes. Really, my ideal LD network would be a system of corridors that allow for maximum origin/destination flexibility. A traveler should be able to get daytime trains from, say, CHI to Louisville or DET to PGH by making connections along the way. Today's LDs should probably stay at once- or twice-daily frequencies (enough of this thrice-weekly nonsense) and sleeper-style service, with daytime service along most of the route from shorter corridor-style trains.Few north to south rail corridors in America "west" of the Mississippi River are maintained well enough to support faster than 60 mph speeds for passenger trains, and the few that are maintained well head towards Texas or are on the Pacific coast. I placed west in quotes because Chicago and New Orleans are actually east of the Mississippi River. I'm not suggesting there are no other north to south rail corridors, I'm am suggesting passenger trains running on them will be very slow - slow enough no one would really want to ride a passenger train on them. The sad fact remains that the two largest freight railroad companies operating mostly west of the Mississippi River have two transcontinental mainlines, a north and south, with branches lines flowing off of them - mostly heading towards the Gulf coast ports in Texas.
I would definitely create more N-S corridors west of the Mississippi. For example: MSP-Des Moines-KCY-TOP-Texas and/or ELP-Albuquerque-DEN-Cheyenne. You could also create corridors in southern MT (Billings to Helena/Missoula) and southern ID (Idaho Falls-Pocatello-Boise-Nampa) and have an LD connect them along I-15 down to Utah (and further north to the Empire Builder). Other than that, I'd reroute the Cardinal to go to STL rather than CHI from IND. I'd create three daily frequencies of the LSL: BOS and NYP as separate trains, and add PHL via PGH. There's other common sense things, too, which are less important than the overall vision for the system running LDs over multiple regional corridors.