by Pensyfan19
Amtrak just replied to Ameristarrail´s proposal to privatise the NEC.
https://www.progressiverailroading.com/ ... sal--62889
https://www.progressiverailroading.com/ ... sal--62889
Amtrak has reviewed a private firm's proposal that calls for privatizing the national intercity passenger railroad's Northeast Corridor (NEC) service.Amtrak also released a whitepaper sometime ago regarding the matter. I understand their point of not wanting to give up their crown jewel of their system to a relatively new private company, but I do not feel that privatisation as a whole is represented by the failures of Iowa Pacific and Britain´s franchising. Most people associate the latter with privatisation, but this is not necessarily the case as Brightline has done a very well job at passenger service (before the pandemic) as well as most privately-owned passenger trains since the 1930s.
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In response to a request for comment, Amtrak spokeswoman Beth Toll said in an email that the railroad has corresponded with AmeriStarRail officials about their proposal. In response to specific points in the group's proposal, Toll noted the following:
• Although AmeriStarRail has proposed creating a centralized maintenance facility, likely in Delaware, that would employ 150 people, Amtrak already employs more than 1,000 Delaware residents primarily at two major equipment maintenance facilities. If Amtrak wasn't operating the trains and maintaining the equipment on the NEC, most of those jobs would go away.
• It's not likely that riders would be comfortable sharing small, closed compartments on a train [as AmeriStarRail has proposed] while the country is recovering from a pandemic;
• The assertion that the private group could expand the NEC for only $5 billion does not take into account that the NEC has a huge state-of-good-repair deficit, calculated at $42 billion, that must be addressed to maintain current Amtrak and commuter services.
• The AmeriStarRail proposal would not produce more money for Amtrak [as proposed] because the vast majority of Amtrak revenue comes from passenger fares, which AmeriStarRail would receive.
"Look down, step over, and watch the gap!" - Dr. John Clarke, The Gap Rap (2010)