Amtrak's Auto Train: A Daily Visitor

[big ben]

oh well.  i guess i'm the only one in jacksonville that doesn't like public transit.  i guess i'll just stop having an opinion now so i won't get everyone's panties in a wad.

again, i don't have a problem with your opinion, just the way that you used statements that are incorrect or imply incorrectness.  i don't doubt that most people (not all) will keep driving if better mass transit were an option.

also, thanks for keeping this civil by not using statements like "i guess i'll just stop having an opinion now so i won't get everyone's panties in a wad." 

[hightowerlover]

i appologize if the term "panties in a wad" offends anyone's civil qualms.  i know i may have quoted in generalized terms in reference to the residents of jacksonville.  but i never stated "ALL" because you couldn't possibly say any one thing about a group of over a million people obviously.

i'm not saying my opinion is more relevant than yours or anyone not born and raised just because i hail from the fair city.  i'm simply stating i've grown up in this place and know what's worked for my entire lifetime.

i don't come onto this site to participate in "groupthink". i view this site as a means of voicing my opinion as a member of this community.  having a different opinion doesn't make me an ape, it makes me a human.

i just think this city has enough expenses right now that they cannot deal with, and we dont need to be focusing on developing a system that will not be embraced by the vast majority of the population. 

i have nothing but respect for everyone on this board and enjoy reading their views, but i just think that our public transit situation is the least of our problems. 

and if you guys really want to continue to insult me go ahead, it's not going to make me stop posting

[thelakelander]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion.  The weird thing is, from a planning point-of-view, an integrated, well planned public transit system may be a big part of a solution that solves several of our community's issues.  Affordable Housing, quality mass transit, economic blight, redevelopment, redistribution of sprawl, reducing crime in poverty stricken neighborhoods and saving taxpayers money, etc are all things that can fixed to a degree with good public transit.  If Mayor Peyton really wants to back a "Big Idea", forcing JTA to integrate their BRT plan with cheaper rail, where feasible, is it.

[gatorback]

High:  no no no...we do value your opionion and are glad you are here.    I take the bus and taxis and cars and bikes like I've said the entire mix you can have in transportation.  Just Saturday night I was stuck on a bus next to an offending passenge, boy did he smell.  And the taxi I took the other night smelt of coed vomit; however, for the most part my mix is satisifying otherwise I wouldn't choose that mode.

[Ocklawaha]

According to Money Magazine, Riverside - Avondale in Jacksonville is one of the best places in the nation to live. It has only a couple of failing points...

Number ONE?

Piss Poor Mass Transit!!!

...and if you think we are involved in "group think" you obviously have NEVER attended any of the citizens meetings or JTA dog and pony shows for their BRT system.

WE ARE:

"THE VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS"

and

"THE HAND'S WRITING ON THE WALL!" err uh Forum!

Ocklawaha

[gatorback]

My first home was at 1309 Challen Avenue.  I love that house but had to move on down the road.  Today, I wouldn't consider living out of the city.  Reminds me of that Green Acres song, "Darling I love you but give me Park Avenue."

[Ocklawaha]

If I were king of the World, I'd build my Castle right back in the middle of Grand Crossing. Maybe a house on stilts? With the crossing of the CSX - NS underneath and the transfer jobs from the FEC bumping around at all hour. Add to that a few Amtrak schedules and I'd be in hog heaven. But you see I like sleeping in open baggage cars, and think diesel smells good!

Hey Lake? You game for designing a house out of old reefer cars? Ah Heaven!
(I just bought that lot down the road from hightowerlover!)

Ocklawaha

[Lunican]

Auto Train cancelled due to frame cracks
November 20, 2008

Amtrak's Auto Train was cancelled Tuesday and yesterday, and will continue to face cancellation until the passenger railroad can fix cracks in its auto-carrying freight car frames. The railroad hasn't yet estimated a restoration date for the Auto Train, which carries passengers and their automobiles between Lorton, Va., and Sanford, Fla.

The repairs will require steel plates to be welded to the cars' frames. The railroad has dispatched materials from its shops in Indiana and Delaware, and has sent workers to Auto Train's terminals in Virginia and Florida to get work under way quickly. Repairs started yesterday and will continue 24 hours a day until the cars are fixed.

Amtrak car inspectors discovered the cracks while conducting an in-depth inspection of the area above the wheel assembly on an out-of-service auto rack. What they discovered led them to inspect other cars' frames, and that led them to shut down the train Tuesday evening.

The Auto Train employs 80 auto racks, all built in 2006 and all of which have about 500,000 miles of travel on them. All cars require some level of repair, but Amtrak needs 50 of the cars to restore the train to service.

The railroad has been calling passengers with tickets on the train to alert them to the service disruption.

[thelakelander]

Is this Amtrak's most successful service?

[Lunican]

The Auto Train is considered their most profitable long distance train. Hopefully they will be running again before Thanksgiving travel starts.

[copperfiend]

Is this Amtrak's most successful service?

I took a vacation to DC a few years back and looked into this. It was cheaper to fly and rent a car than to take the auto-train, alot cheaper.

[gatorback]

I heard today people in the US can buy the same 30 day 8 round trip ticket that formerly only the foreigners could get--kind of like the EuroRail pass we get for over there.  So, I guess now it is cheaper.

[cracklow]

News Release

National Railroad Passenger Corporation
60 Massachusetts Avenue NE
Washington, DC 20002
www.amtrak.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ATK-08-102

Contact: Media Relations (202) 906-3860
November 21, 2008
Amtrak Restores Auto Train Service Saturday Nov. 22

Repairs Made to Sufficient Auto Carriers

WASHINGTON - Amtrak today announced that Auto Train service will resume Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008, from both its terminals. Auto Traincarries passengers and their automobiles between Lorton, Va., in the Washington, DC area, and Sanford, Fla., in the Orlando area. The service was temporarily suspended Nov. 19 when cracks were found in the underframes of the rail cars that carry automobiles. No passenger-carrying cars were affected.

Amtrak acting President and CEO William Crosbie said, "Although no incidents resulted from these cracks, we suspended service in the interest of safety. We deployed welders and materials to both Auto Train facilities and worked round-the-clock in 12-hour shifts to resume this very popular service as soon as possible."

Amtrak owns 80 of the auto carriers and will apply modifications to all of them. Between 36 and 52 auto carriers are required each day to operate Auto Train service. Amtrak expects maintenance crews to have repaired 36 auto carriers by Saturday, enough to resume the daily overnight runs that eliminate nearly 900 miles of driving between the Northeast and Central Florida.

Auto Train is one of Amtrak's most popular trains, handling more than 234,000 passengers and their vehicles in Fiscal Year 2008 ended Sept. 30. Saturday's combined northbound and southbound Auto Trains are slated to carry 777 passengers, 250 automobiles and 82 vans and SUV's. Motorcylces are also handled on Auto Train.