Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Amtrak off the tracks
Since many or you will be traveling during the peak Holiday period, I thought I would have one of my sporadic rants on Amtrak. Now, just so you understand, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation handles about 10,000 passengers a year in Arkansas. I am sure Southwest Airlines does something like ten times that number, but that is a matter for another day.
The reason I even bring this up is that the country desperately needs a balanced transportation system. Airlines and trucking companies have fought Amtrak in congress since day one, which was 35 years ago. As a result, the passenger train company has always been in a life and death struggle. As a result, Amtrak has no sensible business plan and will always be vulnerable.
Things are about to get a lot worse. The new bunch of corporate suits is systematically destroying on board meal service on the long distance trains, such as the Eagle that serves Arkansas. The plan is to further decimate ridership by taking the lounge care off all long distance trains and drastically changing the dining car services. This is an anti-passenger tactic that goes back to the 1960’s when railroad companies were trying to shed inconvenient and unprofitable services. Our representatives should be asking some serious questions.
(Broadcast November 21, 2006)
The reason I even bring this up is that the country desperately needs a balanced transportation system. Airlines and trucking companies have fought Amtrak in congress since day one, which was 35 years ago. As a result, the passenger train company has always been in a life and death struggle. As a result, Amtrak has no sensible business plan and will always be vulnerable.
Things are about to get a lot worse. The new bunch of corporate suits is systematically destroying on board meal service on the long distance trains, such as the Eagle that serves Arkansas. The plan is to further decimate ridership by taking the lounge care off all long distance trains and drastically changing the dining car services. This is an anti-passenger tactic that goes back to the 1960’s when railroad companies were trying to shed inconvenient and unprofitable services. Our representatives should be asking some serious questions.
(Broadcast November 21, 2006)
