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Amtrak-take a ride on the tax payer express!

alledanalledan Member Posts: 19,541
edited January 2002 in General Discussion
Rough ride for Amtrak Email story to a friend Washington-AP -- It's been a rough ride for Amtrak.A new government report says the national passenger railway lost more than a (b) billion dollars last year, the most in its 30-year history.It also says Amtrak is no closer to being financially self-sufficient than when Congress ordered reforms in 1997.The study offers ammunition to critics who say Amtrak isn't able to break away from government funding. The Amtrak Reform Council wants to break up Amtrak and open passenger rail service to competition.On the other hand, the report praises Amtrak for boosting ridership and echoes the railway's perennial plea for greater federal investment in rail.The report says it's not clear if any entity could ever operate the system without government subsidies.
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Comments

  • guns-n-painthorsesguns-n-painthorses Member Posts: 6,462 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I'm sure all you remember how screwed up the US was after the planes hit 9-11.If you can't see the need for a second type of cross country mass transit after that, then you are part of the problem. A billion dollars, so what? Let's see how much we waste on farming each year so farmers can continue to over produce. What one fails to understand is yes, Amtrak will continue to loose money, but all the money they spend helps rebuild the transpotation network that makes this country strong. Our rail network is * compared to the rest of the modern world. Why do you think Europe's rail network is so great. The learned quickly during the second world war how important rail transport was. Something we have not learned here. I guess it don't bother me if a small part of my tax dollar goes for something right here in the good ole USA.
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  • nordnord Member Posts: 6,106 ✭
    edited November -1
    Should there come a time we need it and it's not there... Very bad!Should we never need it, but it's there... A wise investment!Should we have it and learn how to take advantage of it... A miracle!
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  • UnclePatUnclePat Member Posts: 77 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    After our flight was grounded on 9-11, I ran to the Amtrak station to catch a train from New Orleans to Tucson. Unbelievable! Had to wait an extra day because they only run the southern route 3 days per week. Then it took us 4 days and nights to get to Tucson! The staff expalined that the "tracks" are owned by the freight companies and Amtrak only "rents" their use; freight has priority. Sooooo, every few minutes the passangers are shuttled off to a siding while the freight train passes. Secondly, we only have a "one track" system, so both east-west or north-south trains have to share -- no wonder we have so many accidents. The U.S. rail infrastructure really sucks. We could learn a lot from the European system. I would love to travel coast to coast on a high-speed, luxury train. It would be my first choice for domestic travel if it were available.
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  • edharoldedharold Member Posts: 465 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Like maybe the government doesn't subsidize the airlines. How billion did Bush give them? What does air traffic control cost, who pays for that? How about airports and all this security crap? Amtrak is cheap in comparison.
    "They that would give up liberty to obtain safety deserve neither liberty nor safety"Benj. Franklin, 1759
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  • guns-n-painthorsesguns-n-painthorses Member Posts: 6,462 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Besides, if the train wrecks, most if not all will walk away. Try to say that about air travel. I'll give up speed for safety any day.
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  • 7mm_ultra_mag_is_king7mm_ultra_mag_is_king Member Posts: 676 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If I cant drive there, I don't need to be there. I have rode Greyhound and Amtrack and I will never ever rely on public trans again. I don't care if god himself comes here and tells me to do it, I won't. I could care less if Amtrack goes bye bye.
    when all else fails........................
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  • usmc2498215usmc2498215 Member Posts: 82 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Isn't it ironic, the Europeans (British) invent the rail system back in the 19th century, we Americans inven the commercial use of the rail system for all the world to copy, and then we sit back and let it fail. For the life of me I cannot understand WHY, we do not upgrade our current system to copy the Europeans and Japanese. When you look at a map of the U.S. it is prime for a "rapid rail system" or bullet trains. Someone out there enlighten me as to why we aren't doing this. I know the enviormentalists usually fight against these things, but the Germans use an electro magnetic system that is quiet and pollution free.
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