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Matt Drudge reports "Amtrak's board of directors approve key step in Bush plan...voting to spin off NE Corridor as separate operating entity..."
The Amtrak board has approved an essential step in the Bush administration plan to break up the railroad, voting to carve out the Northeast Corridor, the tracks between Boston and Washington, as a separate division.
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Is it true that before Bush appointed them, the Amtrak board all worked for the Arabian Horse Association?
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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Not true, but one of 'em, Mr. Enrique Sosa (Retired Oil executive) had never ridden on Amtrak before! Posts: 71 | Registered: Apr 2003
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I've been bombarded with hand-wringing e-mails today from NARP, Friends of Amtrak, etc, saying this is just the beginning of the breakup of Amtrak.
But the so called "breakup" merely converts the NEC to a subsidiary of Amtrak, and would still be "wholly owned" by Amtrak. So where is this alleged "breakup?"
The link posted by The Chief leads to an article that says the plan must be approved by Congress. Thus it is not official policy by any means.
I say its about time that the NEC gets some disconnect from the rest of the system. Then maybe people will finally see where the bulk of the subsidy money really goes.
I might add that the idea of separating the NEC from national operations has been around long before Bush, and has been supported by some (but not all) rail advocacy organizations.
Posts: 2649 | From: California's Monterey Peninsula | Registered: Dec 2000
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I agree with Mr. Toy. The Northeast Corridor is Amtrak's main money pit. A consistent 50% or so increase in funding would completely turn the national system around. A 50% increase in the money poured into the NEC would barely begin to touch their needs to achieve a semi modern railroad with no improvement in capacity or geometry related speed restrictions.
If the NEC costs were clearly separated from the rest of the system it would help clarify the situation, and we would find that rest of the country is still pouring money into one small albeit populous area.
Posts: 2808 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
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As I have noted in discussions elsewhere, a spinoff of the Corridor to a subsidiary concern would be a "back to the future", as this was the organization that was in place on C-Day, April 1, 1976.
Amtrak-NEC was HQ'd in the Suburban Station Building in Phila, and had an organization chart calling for every executive and administrative position as would any other passenger railroad, such as its parent concern. Its first CEO was named Charles E. Bertrand formerly CEO of the Reading Company who would otherwise be unemployed effective that April 1. Needless to say, he brought his staff over from Reading Terminal with him; some were perfectly competent men, others, well let's just say they had not had experience in their careers with the operation of a high speed passenger railroad.
But needless to say, this was a recipie for corporate bickering, and that cake baked perfectly!!
If anyone believes that creating another parallel bureaucratic organization will result in the delivery of rail passenger service in a more economic and efficient manner, I would suggest they guess again.
Regarding Mr. Toy's comment that creation of the subsidiary would clearly show the world that Amtrak losses are attributable to the Corridor, I think that is sufficiently common knowledge as is. But the fact remains that the Corridor is where the overwhelming majority of people needing intercity rail passenger service are and that accordingly is where the thrust of future initiatives to improve rail passenger service should be directed.
Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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If a greater portion of the states money they get from the latest transportation bill would go to maintain tracks in the seperate states won't this only cut costs for Amtrak, a majority of Amtrak trains use the commuter tacks in the NEC. Another thought. With the spike in Oil prices here in CT we have seen a increase in the Shoreline East rail line which operates with Metro-North. If this trend continued perhaps the state and other states could expand there commuter lines. Amtrak runs on a limited schedule from New Haven to Springfield "the vermonter" why not electrify these tracks and expand metro norths routes.
Posts: 516 | From: New Haven, CT USA | Registered: Feb 2005
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