The GAO is reporting that the United States Postal Service has incurred a net loss of over $40 billion since fiscal year 2006. The GAO reports that total mail volume has declined almost 25% since 2006 and that the USPS is currently overstaffed and needs to re-align its processing and delivery systems to cut costs and increase efficiency. Would it make economic sense for the USPS and Amtrak to sit down and see if there are opportunities for mail trains in certain sectors? With the growing high(er) speed rail networks it would seem that mail trains would be more efficient for delivering mail along the NEC, to some destinations from Chicago, on the CAHSR network and maybe on the maybe-soon-to-be-built FEC corridor.
I don't think that the old style, fully staffed, overnight mail train that stops in every burg and township between point A and point B is what the USPS or Amtrak needs today. But would the USPS be more efficient if it contracted with the CAHSR authority or the FEC to deliver first class mail and priority parcels over those networks? Most mail seems to be transported these days via trucks and airplanes, neither of which seem to be the optimal choice for the distances that the new HSR networks will serve. Is there going to be an opportunity for the introduction of modern, efficient high speed mail trains in the near future?
Posted by palmland (Member # 4344) on :
I think to return to the days of mail trains would be difficult. Not because Amtrak doesn't serve some markets faster than over the road trucker. Rather the mail distribution facilities have moved away from the large complexes that were usually adjacent to stations in major cities.
Without a costly transload operation, mail will arrive and depart from sorting facilities by truck. To then get on rail would make sense only if the facility was in place to handle it, ie. an intermodal terminal. If any mail was to move rail in the future it would likely be on the freight network of intermodal trains. But I do wonder why that hasn't happened. If it makes sense for FedEx and UPS to use rail, why not the USPS? At least for package and less time sensitive material.
Posted by yukon11 (Member # 2997) on :
I believe, as Palmland mentions, that Mr. Boardman, of Amtrak, did express some interest in mail delivery by intermodal train networks. With so many people and businesses using e-mail and fax to send mail and documents, it doesn't surprise me that the USPS has incurred a substantial loss.
Possibly Amtrak could work with the USPS, UPS, and FedEX to help with freight shipments along certain train corridors. Maybe the return of the REA!
Richard
PS - I have been trying to find an authentic, old REA sign at various antique shops. Any suggestions? I think there are a few REA signs, for bid, on E-Bay. The diamond shaped signs run around $125. The long, rectangular signs are more valuable, around $350.
Posted by Vincent206 (Member # 15447) on :
The fact that the USPS has lost $40 billion since 2006 indicates that large scale changes need to be made in the way USPS operates. I think it would be hard to go back and try to retrofit postal trains onto existing corridors; but on newly constructed lines, shouldn't the USPS be looking at possible opportunities to leverage the efficiencies of HSR rail to the advantage of mail delivery?
