tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15276058.post5991577367781577292..comments2024-01-23T08:50:37.343-08:00Comments on Urban Planning and Transportation Blog: This Week in AmtrakJohn Dornoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12041369067854087815noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15276058.post-71997612014217585372008-11-15T23:32:00.000-08:002008-11-15T23:32:00.000-08:00Ok, that's more of that bullshit. Excuse the ...Ok, that's more of that bullshit. Excuse the vulgarity, but this is part of the problem. Even passenger rail enthusiasts and supporters do the system a disservice when they start saying the long distance trains make more money than the short distance trains.<BR/><BR/>Amtrak publishes the tickets sold, the revenue for the lines and everything. The fact is the long distance trains, I hate to admit it, don't make crap. Almost all of Amtrak's revenue is generated in short haul routes.<BR/><BR/>Either way, it doesn't matter.<BR/><BR/>The fact is, Amtrak is INSANELY inefficient. IF they operated more like Virgin Rail in England EVERY LINE IN THE ENTIRE AMTRAK SYSTEM WOULD BE PROFITABLE.<BR/><BR/>...mind you, not operationally profitable, but net profitable.<BR/><BR/>I've run the numbers a dozen times a dozen different ways and it all comes back roses. The biggest problems to operational efficiencies similar to Virgin Rail is Amtrak's Unions & of course Amtrak's lack of capitol to invest in equipment that would enable their employees to actually run as efficiently as Virgin Rail.<BR/><BR/>But anyway, point being, having these stupid debates about regional vs long haul is just inane and lacks any uesfulness to America as a whole.<BR/><BR/>We need more and better passenger rail. Most of the rail we need isn't long haul, it is city to city were people will and readily DO ride it.<BR/><BR/>As always, love reading the blog. Keep up the good work! :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com