I am writing you today to help save a very historical mode of transportation. As you may have heard Amtrak may no longer exist with the rumors and other valid information. If we loose Amtrak we loose history in the making. Think back to the Trains Continental Railroad, the heoric story of Kate Shelly and the Midnight Express,Reading Rainbow's Kate Shelly and the Midnight Express which featured the Amtrak Coast Starlight and Roasie Ellis the engineer and the book of the same name. Will our future generations behold this wonderful part of histrory, or will they only read about Amtrak in books? My friends the first one is the goal of this letter. Please take these points into consideration and long live Amtrak.
Here is a real account of todays delayed Southwest Chief. Imagine boarding a train in LA that departed 2 hours late at 8:15 PM due to lack of equipment then having engine problems in Barstow without heat or Head End Power then having another breakdown near Winslow Arizona plus the crew going dead. Well that's what happened on todays Southwest Chief. Imagine taking an 18 hour trip which turns into a 28-29 hour trip arriving Lamy around 11:30PM instead of 2PM in a deserted dessert town. Well my friends welcome to Amtrak. Imagine arriving to a 10 degree night. While some people will be moaning and screaming "You bastards why the hell are we running so late" "Hell with Amtrak next time I'm taking the bus". Well those comments would be from people who don't have any concept of rail travel.
But for railfans like me I would be like "Awsome we get to see sights that we would normally only pass by during the night". Or "I get extra vacation time on Amtrak's Expense. Imagine you could be in a million other dangerous situations or on that Southwest plane that skidded off the runway in Chicago". With the dire situation that Amtrak is in we need to get as many people to ride the rails.
Think of it as a cruise on wheels. You see many parts of the country that would be impossible to see via car. For instance riding through the Rockies on rails is romantic. Or riding the train on New Years Eve waiting to ring in the New Year is something very unique and special. Let Amtrak do the driving as opposed to the driver driving the car. You see on the train you can socialize with family and not have the burden of driving in major cities.
We need your support of Amtrak. The more people you forward this letter to the more business Amtrak could get. A meal in the dining car costs no more than what you would pay at a restaurant. Coach seats are comfortable whereas the sleepers are quite expensive for one person. Don't get upset or have any pre-conceptions if the train is running late. So as long as you book a guarenteed reservation Amtrak will get you to your destination even if it means overnighting you.
We need to support the Amish by the Government cutting Amtrak we have left this group of unique people in the dumps.
Write to your Congressmen or Congresswoman to show your support. I did and so should you.
So call 1800-USA Rail or go to www.amtrak.com. By showing your support of a service better than Greyhound you have made my day. Greyhound is worse than Amtrak uncomfortable seats for the same cost if not more than the train without a palce to see the scenery. If we loose a customer to Greyhound then we're failing.
We should cloe Greyhound before messing with Amtrak. We live in a beautiful country. So promise me that you will take a rail vacation the next time you want to go onto Expedia.com for airfares. There is no security lines to wait in,Amtrak is safe and besides would you rather be waiting in Los Angeles Union Station sitting in the garden or waiting at Atlanta for a flight? From the car to the train at most stations takes 10 minutes but arrive early to enjoy the station.
Thanks for your support.
Posts: 259 | Registered: Jan 2005
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Unfortunately, Mr. Travelplus, your letter reflects every reason that the Bush administration "reformers" believe it is time to put an end to "Amtrak as we know it", or at least shall we say for persons, such as presumably yourself, that reside in markets served only by the Long Distance trains.
The reform initiative seeks to have rail passenger service maintained in the corridors where Sleeping and Dining service are completely unnecessary and where reliable rail service, such as is found in the Northeast and California corridors can attract passengers in adequate numbers to arrest the need for additional, and quite expensive, highway and airway infrastructure. In that plan, there simply is no requirement for Long Distance trains, where any passengers riding such could easily be accomodated with the existing highway and air transport infrastructure .
To the constituents that elected the incumbent administration, namely the so-called Red States, Amtrak is, if it is anything, a "one a day' operation coming through at 'somambulist' hours, is always late, looses lots of maney, and something nobody rides. That the last two points are bunk, matters little. After all, who should know better than the Secretary of Transportation?
Unfortunately, Mr. Travelplus, while the government is obligated by the Constitution to ensure that no state will impose burdens on interstate commerce, (when did you last have to "clear immigration and customs' at a state line?), there is no obligation to provide transportation to the minorities who choose not to use the mass modes of transport, i.e highways and airways.
Obviously, the Class Ones are, discreetly through their lobbyists, letting it be known that a passenger train creates an undue burden on their already 'strained' infrastructure for doing what it is there to do - move freight. I was in the railroad industry on A-Day, and I can well assure you, the water cooler gave Amtrak a five year life expectancy. At that time, rail infrastructure was infinite, not so today. So as far as the roads are concerned, it is now time for the party that should have ended thirty years ago, to finally be over.
Naturally, the next President may have different ideas, and reverse the iniative of the incumbents to "end Amtrak as we know it". But the Constitution sets forth a separation of powers in whch "the Congress funds, but the President runs", and this is where the incumbent administration evidently wishes to go.
Enjoy your memories, as I certainly will mine.
Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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Here is some news from a Blue State that rides the NEC. I live within a population that talk about conservation and "getting cars of the road" and complain about high gas prices and have an array of transportation options. BUT, their favorite term, which I always get when I bring up train travel.
1. Amtrak doesn't run at the time I want to go (i.e Train doesn't leave at the exact time I want to leave.)
2. If I have to travel with the family its to expensive (fare is comparable with car travel, for a single ticket but not for group travel)
3. Well when I get there I'll have to rent a car. "Moi ride a bus?" "Aren't the subway maps hard to read."
4. I can get to where I'm going quicker by car.
5. I only have so much time for my vacation I don't want to spend it traveling.
6. Basically it's they love trains but never ride them.
"In America there are two types of travel, First class and "with children" Robert Benchley
Posts: 516 | From: New Haven, CT USA | Registered: Feb 2005
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What that says to me Tanner929: is that people are altogether lazy: can't even read a schedule to figure out that they could leave 15 minutes earlier or later. People are spoiled, the automobile allows them to go when they want, but at a price. I would certainly ask: when you fly somewhere you end up renting a car anyhow...so what's the difference? Too expensive?? Add up gasoline prices and then hotels for a 2 day trip and then compare to Amtrak...oh, also add on the wear and tear for the car as well as the driver!
Funny, I see people who are visiting in Chicago jumping on the "L" and riding Metra for the first time with schedules glued to their hands...so what's the big deal about figuring things out and getting around?
Quicker by car? Who has never started on a trip by car and then gotten stuck in traffic somewhere for 2 -4 hours or longer? Again wear and tear on the car and driver.
I have only so much time for vacation and don't like to spend it traveling? No wonder so many of these people have ulcers, high blood pressure, and other maladies directly related to everything needing to be "fast."
The whole thing lies in educating people. I think sometimes we're too afraid to challenge the erroneous attitudes.
Posts: 171 | From: Aurora, Illinois | Registered: Jun 2005
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Well said Jgart. We need to educate people how to use Amtrak. I have seen people looking at the schedules as if they don't know where they are going. It takes a simple look online to see the different routes and plan their trips. Unfortunately people book their trips with high expectations only to find out their trip was the worst trip they took in a long time. You see people have these odd thoughts and then complain because they are not flexible. In order to enjoy Amtrak one must be flexible and open to rapid changes.
Posts: 259 | Registered: Jan 2005
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quote:Unfortunately people book their trips with high expectations only to find out their trip was the worst trip they took in a long time. You see people have these odd thoughts and then complain because they are not flexible. In order to enjoy Amtrak one must be flexible and open to rapid changes
OK, if the originator Mr Travelplus, wants to expand the scope of his topic to include advertising, here goes,
Has anyone stopped and realized that Amtrak is the only passenger transportation company that advertises about their travel experience?
Cruiselines don't count; that's an excursion, as distinct from transportation.
Presently, the two legacy air carriers with national TV campaigns say nothing about their in-flight experience; just it's "we know why you fly' i.e. to get from here to there and "it's time to fly' well, most anyone except a minority that have to get places over 500 miles away and will fly to do so. Other carriers simply post their 'air-sale' fares in the media.
METRA, the Chicago area rail commuter agency's trade name, advertises with "the way to really fly' suggesting that they are the fastest way to get to downtown - and at rush hours they are! Nothing is advertised about the on-board experience beyond "read, work, or watch the miles go by'.
'Once upon a time' airlines regularly advertised their in-flight experience; the great food, the attentive service, and several smaller carriers even "sold *** (appeal)', but I think by 1994, or thereabouts, the airlines realized that they simply could not offer much more of a product than here to there safely and swiftly (just like municipal mass transit). I select 1994 as that is when United ceased their Gene Hackman/'Rhapsody in Blue' (well, with a full orchestra)themed national campaign. A UA flight attendant once told me, 'we can't offer that kind of service that exciting and inspiring music connotes; so we just dropped it".
So possibly Amtrak advertising should simply note 'we offer you a ride'.
Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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Might note that BNSF is the second largest Amtrak stockholder. Just a brainstorm, if BNSF really takes pride in Amtrak, what would happen if BNSF took over management of Amtrak?
Don't shoot me, I'm just trying to think outside the box. Posts: 2649 | From: California's Monterey Peninsula | Registered: Dec 2000
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In defense of The Legendary Southwest Chief, I'm thinking that the nightmare scenario that Mr. travelplus so eloquently draws are, hopefully, a thing of the past.
I recently took a round trip on The Chief from Albuquerque to Chicago. Yes, the train was delayed a few hours on the way to the Windy City, due to a freight train in the middle of the night.
And yes, the train was delayed an hour going back home when a dining car had to be switched out. But to Amtrak's credit, the train arrived in the Duke City over an hour early. Also, the tracks were in much better shape than my last trip.
Oh yes, about Greyhound. In the last year alone, that venerable American institution has closed over 600 of it stops to small towns throughout this great country of ours. Greyhound is trying desperately to make a profit and is focusing on markets that will make money. So if Amtrak goes belly up (which it won't) then people who live in small towns are going to be screwed.
And yes, it's true that the Amish are very concerned about the fallout of Mr. Bush's recent insane decisions about Amtrak. But having prodded one of those polyester clad, wooly faced gentlemen about their potential plight, I was stared at like a madman and told that they have the situation well in hand. I assume, like my bretheren, they have put this matter into the hands of "a higher authority."
About this cruise ship business. You seem obsessed with cruise ships. Lord, I wish Amtrak was more like a cruise ship. But hey, if it's a cruise ship in your mind, than a cruise ship it is.
Posts: 324 | From: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA | Registered: Jan 2003
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Mr. Chucky: "...Mr. Bush's recent insane decisions about Amtrak."
Chucky, it seems your definition of the insane is anyone having a point of view that differs from yours.
Mr. Norman: You mentioned the water cooler gang gave Amtrak only five years. Your hydrating group forgot to factor in the fact that A-Day produced another government agency (I know, quasi). And government agencies, even quasi's, have a life span far exceeding the sequoia's and desert tortoise's (combined). I suspect that if Grant had taken over Butterfield's pax business, we'd still have yet another transportation alternative (and gee, it's relatively oil-free).
Mr. Toy: "Don't shoot me, I'm just trying to think outside the box."
J.T., your thought of BNSF getting more involved in the management of Amtrak is indeed outside the box. Kind of like a major stock holder (like Kirk Kerkorian) getting proactive to protect his investment (like KK is attempting to do at GM)? Hmmm...doubt it will happen. But my gun is holstered. Good shot.
Posts: 445 | Registered: May 2002
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Mr Zephyr, regarding your point appertaining my submission, with which I substantially concur, I guess I should add to yours before anyone here chimes in with "where's the Interstate Commerce commission, or the Civil Aviation Board?", the activities of those two agencies simply were transferred from the US Dept of Commerce to the US Dept of Transportation, and repackaged as the Surface Transportation Board and the Federal Aviation Agency.
There is one Nixon-era agency coming to mind that I believe went totally KAPUT; that is the Office of Economic Opportunity. I can't say any other agency assumed their functions as I believe the only one they ever had was to launch a self-serving media campaign to get out their message of all the great things they plan to do (a little loot, please, pretty please, Congress?)
Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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WPA, CCC, other depression era works programs are all gone. Oh yeah, you can still collect money from the govenment, it is just now you do not even have to pretend to work for it.
Posts: 2808 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
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Well, if Pres. Bush's intention in zeroing out the Amtrak budget was to create dialogue, then perhaps he isn't so crazy.
Using the word "insane" may have been a bit too strong a word, but the thought of our national railroad going the way of the Linotype machine gets me more than a little upset, even tho I'm not one of those who remembers the good old days.
I use Amtrak religiously, I cross the country at least a few times a year and I quit flying long, long ago. I like the status quo, even though it may have some problems.
When you said that I define an insane person as one whose views differ from my own, I can't help but wonder what exactly Pres. Bush hopes to accomplish by killing Amtrak. Perhaps you can enlighten me: Is it nationwide coridors that he is seeking or the total elimination of the long hauls?
I am baffled by Pres. Bush's actions and even more baffled why a fiscal conservative would find a nationwide system that costs only a billion or so dollars a waste of money when the Chinese are pumping over 10 times that much into their railroad system. I mean, we seem to be getting a pretty big bang for our buck around here.
Or were you just trying to get me to be a little bit more careful about the way I phrase my replies? If that is the case, then I thank you for your rebuke because I probably deserved it.
One other thing: While poor attendance on trains such as the Coast Starlight might suggest that some adjustments might be wise (at least in terms of the number of cars being pulled), I really don't have a problem with continuing these lines.
Taxpayers are subsidizing Amtrak to the tune of $5 a person. That means that taxpayers (with the exception of a few grumpy, greedy, airplane-riding fatcats) are helping to keep trains less popular than The Southwest Chief running. What's wrong with that?
New Mexico is one of the poorest states in the union and we are proud to support the future (and the past) of rail travel. Democrat Governor Bill Richardson is fighting tooth and nail to keep the Cumbres and Toltec Steam Locomotive running and Heather Wilson is an avid supporter of the restoration of the 2926 Steam Locomotive in Albuquerque. And, as we have discussed, a train from Belen to Bernalillo (and ultimately Santa Fe) is soon to be a reality.
New Mexico is fighting hard to preserve Amtrak in general and The Southwest Chief in particular. It would be nice to see similar support come from Washington D.C.
Posts: 324 | From: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA | Registered: Jan 2003
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