Empire Commuter: In Brief

Amtrak has announced a major security initiative to screen of passengers before boarding although I haven't seen any evidence of it on the Empire Line. A good analysis of the futility of the project can be found on the libertarian website antiwar.com. Wonkette also has a great take on the absurdity.

On other fronts, I recently had some problems getting my Guest Rewards points for the purchase of my commuter passes. After a long call to Customer Relations I was told it was because I had used vouchers I received for late trains. Apparently this prevents the automatic crediting of your purchase towards Guest Rewards points. I was then told to call Guest Rewards after each purchase if I used a voucher. Is this a new scam to discourage people from what Amtrak management probably considers "double-dipping"?

Empire Commuter: No Manna from Heaven Here

Yesterday Albany was beset by icy rain and snow which caused a variety of traffic accidents and power outages. The Albany Times Union reports that Amtrak commuters were not immune:

A woman was injured when ice fell from the roof of the Amtrak station in Rensselaer and hit her on the head. She was treated by paramedics in the lobby and taken to St. Mary's Hospital in Troy after the 11 a.m. accident. Her name was not immediately available. Rensselaer police said the injuries were not serious.

Capital District Transit Authority Director of Business Development Carm Basile said CDTA officials will look into what happened and what remedy, if any, is necessary.

The only remedy is to avoid the crumbling infrastructure that is Amtrak and for some commuters that's just not possible.

Today Associated Press quoted U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer that "CSX [Amtrak leases access to tracks from CSX] will spend $48.5 million to improve its rail system in upstate New York, where it has been plagued by a series of mishaps and derailments .... New Yorkers in all regions are all too familiar with CSX's safety record. We've had a lot of serious problems but that's now been met by a serious commitment."

Amtrak management long ago graciously agreed to accept all liability for any accident on CSX tracks that involved an Amtrak train -- even if Amtrak staff and equipment were not at fault.