Metro Jacksonville

QuoteAmtrak official makes pitch to run Florida high speed rail
By TED JACKOVICS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 11, 2010

Amtrak's top official said today the government operated passenger railroad is better positioned than potential foreign competitors to operate a proposed Tampa-Orlando high speed train.

"Our capability to operate high speed trains, to operate electrified trains........brings depth and knowledge on how to operate trains in a corridor," president and chief executive Joseph Boardman said in response to a conference call question with the news media.

Amtrak operates Acela high speed trains between Boston, New York and Washington. It is the only high speed rail operator in North America.

"We do have foreign competitors," Boardman said. "Many are beginning to raise their heads with the dollars available."

If the Obama Administration approves Florida's $2.6 billion request for high speed rail stimulus funds this winter, electric-powered trains operating up to 150 mph could travel between Tampa and Orlando beginning in 2014.

In December, more than a dozen major U.S. and foreign-based rail manufacturers and operators attended a Florida High Speed Rail Industry Forum in Orlando. In addition to thousands of construction jobs, a high speed rail project would create manufacturing jobs ranging from train cars to automated ticket machines.

Regarding conventional rail, Boardman said Amtrak in February would announce a detailed plan to replace and expand its fleet of locomotives and railcars in time to become part of a Congressional budget pitch.

One passenger rail advocate who is frequently critical of Amtrak management, J. Bruce Richardson who heads the United Rail Passenger Alliance Inc of Jacksonville, said in a newsletter last month that a Congressional plan to provide $800 million for Amtrak fleet modernization did nothing to expand the fleet and expand Amtrak service.

Amtrak completed fiscal year 2009 in September with its second best year in history by carrying 27.2 million passengers, down from 28.7 million in fiscal 2008 when high gas prices encouraged motorists to take trains.

But only one daily northbound and southbound train serves Amtrak on a run between New York and Miami.

Boardman also said Amtrak will evaluate its poorest performing long-distance routes to identify and implement changes.

Those include the Sunset Limited, which formerly served Florida but now runs between New Orleans and Los Angeles; the Cardinal between New York and Chicago through West Virginia; the Texas Eagle between Chicago and Los Angeles via Arkansas and Texas; the Capitol Liimited between Washington and Chicago, and the California Zephyr, between Chicago and California via Colorado.

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/jan/11/amtrak-official-makes-pitch-run-florida-high-speed/

Jacksonville Amtrak hater Bruce Richardson is WRONG, as is John Mica:

QuoteAmtrak chief says Northeast Corridor to see improvements
By RAJU CHEBIUM • Gannett Washington Bureau • January 11, 2010

â€" Amtrak’s chief says rail passengers in the Northeast Corridor can expect better service and newer trains beginning this year.
   

Joseph Boardman, Amtrak’s president and CEO, says the quasi-public railroad is working to cut travel time between Washington and New York by 15 minutes and replace all 1,400 locomotives and rail cars nationwide.


“All of the fleet we are talking about includes the Northeast Corridor,” he told reporters in a conference call, during which he also touted Amtrak’s efforts to spark high-speed rail projects outside the Washington-to-Boston corridor. “We know we need to retire this fleet. We know we are going to move forward on the (new) fleet.”


Beginning in March, Acela trains will begin offering wireless online access initially for free, Amtrak says. Later this year, the interiors of Acela Express trains will also be spruced up with amenities such as leather seating.


Boardman said some improvements are already under way using money Congress provided as part of the $787 billion economic stimulus package President Barack Obama signed into law in February.  

Among them: Upgrading transformers and other electrical equipment between Washington and New York, renovating the train station in Wilmington, Del., and restoring locomotives and rail cars stored in Bear, Del.


Delays due to power outages and the aging infrastructure aren’t uncommon along the Northeast Corridor. A Dec. 23 electrical malfunction near New York caused a three-hour delay throughout the route.


Minimizing delays requires improvements to the power system and other infrastructure like rail ties and tunnels. Though some of those improvements are under way, Boardman acknowledged it will be a long and costly process, requiring about $16 billion.


Boardman also rejected talk of partially privatizing the Northeast Corridor, which some Republicans like Rep. John Mica of Florida have advocated. Boardman declared flatly that Amtrak is “America’s railroad” and intends to continue to serve that role.

http://www.dailyrecord.com/print/article/20100111/UPDATES01/100111050/Amtrak-chief-says-Northeast-Corridor-to-see-improvements

I love the idea of using Amtrak to operate HSR it would probably help it to integrate with other Amtrak projects. The biggest problem is a political one Amtrak's budget is redone annually even though they need to be able to make decisions about how decades are going to be handled. Investments in rail is not a one year op. You know sooner or later the anti tax groups of the world will say oh just cut Amtrak's budget and we can invade someone.

Wow, what a negative point of view. I guess part eternal whining and grandiose thinking.......

Meantime, reality based examination offers this under the Obama administration:

Quoteoseph Boardman, Amtrak’s president and CEO, says the quasi-public railroad is working to cut travel time between Washington and New York by 15 minutes and replace all 1,400 locomotives and rail cars nationwide.


“All of the fleet we are talking about includes the Northeast Corridor,” he told reporters in a conference call, during which he also touted Amtrak’s efforts to spark high-speed rail projects outside the Washington-to-Boston corridor. “We know we need to retire this fleet. We know we are going to move forward on the (new) fleet.”

What the heck is wrong with that?!? I for one am ecstatic seeing Amtrak make the improvements that were long overdue, and severely delayed as a result of being starved by the likes of Mica et al.

Your pictures be damned. As a work and recreational train traveler myself, I am not in the least interested in clam chowder or other luxury amenities, that may only interest a pure train buff, but not someone who uses train travel as a necessary and economical mode of transportation.

Ms Faye...........I have to disagree with you there kid! Commercial Aircraft used to have three to four sections(its been so long since I have flown commercial probably not current anymore) Coach, business and first class! First class accommodations could be a drawing card for travel on trains, marketing could make use of that feature and just some plain simple comforts.....like a bathroom, diner (with real food) a lounge or an observation car! Mix and match depending on mission profile...........day train or night train (sleepers would be nice) size of seat's beats the hell out Aircraft High Density Chairs...........I believe that is 16"x16" for standards and not really sure that they even have 1st Class Chairs anymore! Anyway........it would beat the hell outa pedaling for 400 miles!

Quoteeven a couple of the historically giant railroads have openly discussed that they might take the trains back and run them themselves

Who? Would they self-insure their own rails for disasters on their own tracks, to the more than 200 million that CSX requires on their tracks? Of course those were 1994 figures, I am sure they are much more today.

But really, who running freight, efficiently and taking more and more trucks off the road, would want to carry what the airlines call "smelly infectious beer can swilling fares"?