Why High Speed Rail is a Boondoggle in the Midwest

[Kev3188]

An interesting read on Amtrak from The Atlantic today:

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/politics/2012/10/why-amtrak-keeps-breaking-ridership-records-and-will-continue/3643/

 

[delldude]

Yain't no gaul darn redneck.....youse a rum runner.

Communiss

Terrist


or an illegal alien.

or political refugee.

Just like Joe Kennedy............

 

[NewHampshire Black Bears]

An interesting read on Amtrak from The Atlantic today:

http://www.theatlant...-continue/3643/

Kev,
Thanx for that link.
It's a Good story, only to get BETTER ($$$)
Everytime gas goes and stays 'UP, the More folks are taking to the 'Rails. The Acela EXP. is in a way, a no-brainer, because of the relatively short distance between BOS/PVD/NHV/NYC/EWR/TTN/PHL-WIL/BWI/DWAS, which of course are HUGE population centers. (SAN-LAX-SFO/OAK-SMF will soon become like Acela-2). But turning our attention to MKE-CHI-STL, the folks between those points are 'Man-ing up' with thier ticket purchases,(The DEMAMD for 'Upgrading are THERE) !!

Eolesen is right, as far as Union Station/CHI needing more 'Thru tracks'. But thats not a very difficult thing to accomplish.
And then, my pet project/my FAV), ......which serves Wisconcin a lot, The Empire Builder. It .......'could be'......... feasible to attempt to privatize that route from CHI/MKE to MSP, .....BUT..the Privatizing BS ENDS THERE.
Anyone attempting to privatize from MSP to SEA/PDX would have to be out of thier business mind.(BNSF who owns those tracks certainly wants no part of a privatize gig on that route). End result , AMTRAK STAYS Put. (plus the #'s are up 15.8% on the EB)
Finally , there's that phrase ERS (I'm teacing that to eolesen now) Essential Rail Service, where the EB runs along the "High Line'( Very Rural northern ND/MT/ID and WA), where it's the only link to civilization up there. Jesus, I don't think even Greyhound runs up there.
Anyway, It's Full Speed Ahead !
'ALL ABOARD' : )

 

[eolesen]

Eolesen is right, as far as Union Station/CHI needing more 'Thru tracks'. But thats not a very difficult thing to accomplish.

Nah, it's just a multi-billion dollar project to pull off while maintaining the 300+ commuter trains a day using the station...

Essential rail service needs to be subsidized by the states if they want to keep it. Same thing with essential air service. There's no reason someone from NYC should be subsidizing train service for northern Montana. North Carolina, Illinois, Maine, and California have managed to subsidize their in-state services. No reason the same standard shouldn't apply on the high line.

 

[NewHampshire Black Bears]

Nah, it's just a multi-billion dollar project to pull off while maintaining the 300+ commuter trains a day using the station...

Essential rail service needs to be subsidized by the states if they want to keep it. Same thing with essential air service. There's no reason someone from NYC should be subsidizing train service for northern Montana. North Carolina, Illinois, Maine, and California have managed to subsidize their in-state services. No reason the same standard shouldn't apply on the high line.

Two answers.
1. (the) Union station thing could and should be done, similiar to Bostons..BIG DIG.
(Eric, not saying that you'd be Wrong, but SPARE Me the "cost-overrun' of the B D )

2. In the other than Montana states you mentioned, due to thier far smaller sizes, one could reach an airport with some kind of 'normal' air service in a reasonable amount of time.
Montana is as you know ....H U G E, especially northern MT, where one couldn't even find a G-H Bus.
Montana and Alaska are PRIME examples of EAS, hence ERS.

 

[eolesen]

Great. Let Montana pay for the fact it's too big for EAS. They have enough potential revenue from the Bakken and natural gas production to fund trainportation if that's what is truly required.

 

[NewHampshire Black Bears]

Great. Let Montana pay for the fact it's too big for EAS. They have enough potential revenue from the Bakken and natural gas production to fund trainportation if that's what is truly required.

Federal laws/subsidies are made EQUAL,.......wether it be RI or DE, or MT or AK.
You don't have to Like it, just Understand it !!
(especially after the next '15' DAYS ) !!! : )

 

[eolesen]

Yeah, well, not everything can or should be subsidized by the Feds. That's why EAS has shrunk consistently over the years.

There's no moral or Constitutional obligation to provide air/rail transportation to every county in the country. People who choose to live 100 miles from a doctor usually do so by choice.

I know you're happy taking more than you pay in, but the rest of the country isn't quite so thrilled with it. That's what this election is boiling down to in some states.