NY Times: Amtrak Breakup Advances

What do you think this really means? Will it really happen? When? How do you think the (ever-changing and mysterious) announcements of fare increases play into this? -- David

Full article

October 13, 2005

Amtrak Breakup Advances

By MATTHEW L. WALD

WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 - The Amtrak board has approved an essential step in the Bush administration plan to break up the railroad, voting to carve out the Northeast Corridor, the tracks between Boston and Washington, as a separate division.

The board, made up entirely of Mr. Bush's appointees, voted in a meeting on Sept. 22 to create a new subsidiary to own and manage the corridor, which includes nearly all the track that Amtrak owns.

The vote was not announced. It was reported on Wednesday in the newsletter of the United Rail Passenger Alliance of Jacksonville, Fla., an organization that has been highly critical of Amtrak management.

The plan, which would require action by Congress, is to transfer the corridor to a consortium including the federal government and the governments of the states in the region that would share the costs to maintain it.

That would relieve Amtrak from spending billions of dollars to build and rebuild bridges, rails and electrical systems, but still let the company run its trains.

The plan would also remove Amtrak from control of that sector, a condition that the railroad's senior executives say would doom high-speed long-distance service. Managers say they have to be able to give their trains priority over local traffic if they have any hope of keeping their schedules.

A large majority of trains in the corridor are shorter-distance commuter trains operated by state agencies in metropolitan regions, although Amtrak trains accrue a majority of the miles traveled.

The four-member board has shown ambivalence to some aspects of the administration's proposal.

On April 21, the chairman, David M. Laney, testified before a Senate committee, "We have concluded for now that the complexities and risks associated with such a split outweigh any benefits."

In a telephone interview on Wednesday, Mr. Laney denied that the vote to make the corridor a separate operating division was a precursor to separating it from Amtrak entirely.

No one actually knows how much the increase will be...

I bought a monthly commuter pass for November this morning and was charged the old rate. I asked when and how much the fare increase would be and was told that the increase would begin on October 16th -- but that the people working at the ticket counter still don't know what it will be!

It's still very unclear what the Amtrak management is planning to do.

Philly commuters are mad about the increase too...

Philly.com has a good article on how the fare increase will affect commuters to NYC:

Nearly 700 Philadelphia-area residents take on the commute, according to Amtrak, and these days they're a pretty angry bunch.

Amtrak intends to boost the cost of monthly Philadelphia-to-New York passes from $633 to $1,008 - beyond the break-even point for many commuters, who say the increase threatens not just their income but their jobs. As riders consider switching to cheaper-but-longer commutes aboard buses or NJ Transit trains, the rate increase jeopardizes something else too, something subtle and intangible: The culture of the train.

The people who ride to New York in the morning and back to Philadelphia at night make up a kind of community within a community, spending three to four hours a day encased within the same speeding steel tube. Some spend more time with each other than they do with their kids.

Like other commuters, she's furious about the fare increase. Some people worry they'll have to quit their jobs. Who can afford $12,000 a year to get to work?

All in a days work: Amtrak announces fare raise; kills two people

The NY Times reports that:

"Amtrak said its ticket prices would rise 5 percent to 7 percent on Tuesday for an average increase of about $4 to cover rising costs. But a round-trip ticket from New York to Washington on a high-speed Acela train, which now costs $314, will go up about $22.

"In a more controversial move, Amtrak plans to sharply reduce the discount it offers to the thousands of Northeastern commuters who buy monthly passes and 10-trip tickets. Under that plan, the monthly tariff for some will rise $150 to $200 on Oct. 16 and an equal amount in February.

The same day, Wednesday, September 27, the Times reported that, "A high-speed Amtrak Acela train plowed into a car at a crossing Wednesday, killing a woman and her 8-year-old grandson and causing major delays along the Boston-to-Washington corridor."

Amtrak doesn't deserve any fare increase until they can provide safe, clean punctual service. Keep writing and complaining!

After Backlash, Amtrak Delays Fare Increase - New York Times

It's good to see that the "backlash" did the trick. According to the Times:

...the potential gain from squeezing the small but vocal band of regulars is relatively small. Only about 2,000 people buy multiple-ride tickets each month, with most of them paying from $500 to $750. Even if all of them continued buying the higher-priced passes, the additional revenue to Amtrak would not amount to much more than $5 million a year. That's a rounding error to an operation that takes in about $2 billion and spends about $3 billion each year.

But this is no time to be complacent:

Representative Fitzpatrick, who met with Mr. Gunn yesterday morning to protest the fare increase and Amtrak's plan to cease service to a station in Cornwells Heights, Pa., north of Philadelphia, was pleased to hear that Mr. Gunn had decided to shelve both ideas, at least temporarily. But he said that Mr. Gunn did not commit to revising the fare increase, only to taking more time to explain it.

"I think there's a reason that Amtrak postponed its proposed fare increase," Mr. Fitzpatrick said. "I hope it's because there's another way."

Full article:http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/16/nyregion/16amtrak.html?pagewanted=print

Amtrak Caves to Pressure, Postpones Fare Increase Indefinitely

National Railroad Passenger Corporation
60 Massachusetts Avenue NE
Washington, DC 20002
www.amtrak.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Media Relations (202) 906-3860
ATK-05-076

September 15, 2005
Amtrak To Postpone September 20 Fare Increase

WASHINGTON – Amtrak announced today that it has postponed its planned fare increases, originally scheduled to become effective on September 20. No new date for the fare action has been set. Amtrak postponed the action to conclude additional briefings with public officials and other interested groups.

On September 9, Amtrak announced a fare increase in part to recover escalating fuel costs. As part of the overall fare increase, Amtrak intends to standardize and reduce its discounts on monthly Smart Passes, which are currently as much as 70%.

An average of 1,989 monthly NEC Regional train Smart Passes and 178 monthly Empire Service Smart Passes are purchased each month.

About Amtrak

Amtrak provides intercity passenger rail services to more than 500 destinations in 46 states on a 22,000-mile route system. For schedules, fares and information, passengers may call 800-USA-RAIL or visit Amtrak.com.null"

Update on fare increase

I was told by another commuter this morning that the monthly passes will go up 33%, but that an October pass can be still purchased at the old price until September 19th.

Fight the Amtrak fare increase for commuters!

Amtrak is planning a 50% fare increase for for regular commuters throughout the Northeast corridor. Such a plan would:

• Result in reduced revenues for Amtrak - most commuters will choose another method of transportation fares are raised to this level. Some, like myself, would consider leaving my current jobfor one closer to home - even if it required a substantial decrease in salary.
• Endanger the still fragile economic recovery by reducing disposable income and causing hardship to
  working people who commute long distances to support families.
  
• Increase air pollution and related health risks in congested urban areas by forcing more people to
  drive to work.
  
• Increase our energy dependence on countries that harbor terrorists.
  

As a commuter, a voter and an environmentally concerned citizen I strongly urge everyone to fight the increase by contacting your elected representatives, regulatory agencies and Amtrak management. Tell them you oppose any plan for an Amtrak fare increase. A list of contacts appears below.

Senators Lott and Lautenberg are now pushing to get Amtrak's funding approved. Drop them a line and let them know that Amtrak doesn't deserve a taxpayer subsidy if fares are so exorbitant that no one can afford them.

Email me with any related news you may hear or other people or agencies to contact at empirecommuter@yahoo.com

Thanks!

David Solomonoff

Contacts and Links

Mr. David L. Gunn, President
Amtrak Customer Relations
60 Massachusetts Avenue
Washington DC 20002
fax: 202-906-2211

Note: It is best to call 1 800-USA-RAIL, then press "0" and ask for customer relations, explain why you are
calling and ask for a reference number. Include the number in your letter to Mr. Gunn.

Kate Warr, Administrator
Amtrak Customer Advisory Committee
900 E. Second Street, NE, Suite 308
Washington, DC 20002

Secretary of Transportation
Norman Y. Mineta
Norman.Mineta@ost.dot.gov
Telephone: 202-366-1111
FAX: 202-366-7202

AMTRAK REFORM COUNCIL
Gilbert E. Carmichael - Chairman
Thomas A. Till - Executive Director
tom.till@oig.dot.gov
Telephone: 202-366-0591

Amtrak Office of the Inspector General, http://www.amtrakoig.com/

NARP - National Association of Railroad Passengers, http://www.narprail.org

American Public Transportation Association (APTA), http://www.apta.com/

Friends of Amtrak, http://trainweb.com/crocon/amtrak.html

Save Amtrak, http://www.saveamtrak.org/

Amtrak Reform Council, http://www.amtrakreformcouncil.gov/

Federal Railroad Administration, http://www.fra.dot.gov/site/index.htm


U.S. Department of Transportation, http://www.dot.gov/

The Empire State Passengers Association, http://www.trainweb.com/espa/


Tri-State Transportation Campaign, http://www.tstc.org/


New York Governor George E. Pataki
State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224
http://www.state.ny.us/governor/


Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
City Hall
New York, NY 10007
(212) 788-9600
FAX (212) 788-2460
E-MAIL: http://nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mayor.html



President Mr.George W.Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
SWITCHBOARD: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
e-mail: president@whitehouse.gov
Web Site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/

NY Senators

Schumer, Charles (D - NY)
313 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-6542
Web page to send email:
http://schumer.senate.gov/webform.html

Clinton, Hillary (D - NY)
476 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4451
Web page to send email:

http://clinton.senate.gov/email_form.html


To find your Congressperson, go to this website:


http://www.house.gov/writerep/
and enter your full nine-digit zipcode.

NY Times: Amtrak Is Said to Be Planning a Big Fare Rise

The NY Times reports:

Amtrak is preparing to announce a significant increase in fares that will push up the monthly cost of commuting for thousands of train riders in the Northeast by as much as 50 percent, according to railroad industry officials, commuter advocates and Congressional staff members.

Some commuters who travel regularly on Amtrak trains between Washington and Boston said ticket agents had warned them of a pending increase that could add hundreds of dollars to the cost of their monthly passes. By yesterday afternoon, people who work on Capitol Hill said Amtrak employees had told them an announcement about a big rise in fares was imminent, probably coming next week.

Representative Robert E. Andrews, a Democrat from Haddon Heights, N.J., said he had heard about the coming increase, which was characterized as a reduction of the discount on multitrip tickets. In other words, he said, "It would be a fare increase on monthly passes."

Mr. Andrews said he had not been told how big the increase would be.

But another person who said he had been briefed on the plan said the cost of monthly travel between some cities in the Northeast would rise more than 50 percent, though the increase would be much smaller for other tickets. This person, who had not been cleared by Amtrak to talk, said commuters would bear the brunt of the increase because they had been spared in previous price increases.

If bullets were this slow we'd have world peace

The Empire line has been subject to consistent delays recently, ostensibly due to track maintenence. The last time major track work was done the new ties were made of concrete rather than wood to support the anticipated "bullet train" which would run at slightly more than half the speed of high-speed trains in japan. One hundred eighty million dollars later, the "bullet train" project has now officially been abandoned and the new ties are made of wood.

Never fear, however, the NY state Senate has created a new task force on high-speed rail service. The task force will review a $5 million feasibility study currently underway. The study will focus on two main routes: one linking Buffalo and New York City, and another linking Montreal, Albany and New York City.

There's nothing politicians like better than to spend money on feasibilty studies. As one Amtrak conductor said to me the other day, "I've got ten years till retirement and I don't think I'll ever see it."

Alien abduction can't be worse...

Haven't posted in many moons but last night was the worst -- the 8:20 and 10:45 pm trains to Albany were delayed and finally combined, departing at 2:30 am the next morning. The trip which normally takes 2 hours and 25 minutes took 4 hours, due to ongoing track repairs and the need to replace an engineer mid-trip who had worked too many consecutive hours. Tempers were boiling at Penn Station and the customer relations staff unable and/or unwilling to provide any idea of when or if the trains would finally arrive. While uninterested in our complaints they were quick to complain how hard their jobs were. Finally they called the Amtrak police when some passengers raised their voices a little too loudly.

This morning I see that a proposed cut to Amtrak funding has been rescinded and that they're getting more money than ever.

NY Times: Railroad to Pay Over Violations at Crossings

The NY Times reports today that "New York's attorney general, Eliot Spitzer, said on Monday that the railroad giant CSX Transportation Inc. had agreed to pay $1 million to settle state charges that it violated safety laws by failing to report and promptly fix hundreds of warning-signal malfunctions at grade crossings across the state."

CSX leases access to its tracks to Amtrak for a good deal of the Empire line.

It could be worse dept: Four die on tracks of Moscow metro in one day

A series of accidents happened in the Moscow metro on February 23rd. Four people died in the metro as they fell down on the tracks and were killed with arriving trains, Interfax reports with reference to a source in the law-enforcement authorities. Moreover, a group of teenagers took a train car of passengers hostage later the same day.

Better late than never dept.

Amtrak critics have long warned of inadequate emergency evacuation planning in and around New York's Penn Station. In late September an Amtrak transformer fire brought NYC rails to a standstill because of inadequate plans for rescue workers to get in or passengers out of the tunnels. Only 2 of 6 tunnels were sufficiently equipped for escape or ventilation. To remedy this problem Amtrak has given Swedish construction giant Skanska AB a contract worth 126.6 million to renovate ventilation and safety facilities in the East River Tunnels. Work will begin in January 2005 and is scheduled to be done by 2009.

Amtrak metes out justice on the rails

The Chicago Daily Herald reports that "A westbound Amtrak train struck and killed a man Wednesday afternoon in Chicago as he was trying to load stolen auto parts into a truck that was parked on the tracks."

Former Amtrak mouthpiece advocates scrapping Amtrak

Joseph Vranich, a former public affairs spokesman for Amtrak, has just written The Failure of Amtrak Reform and the Future of America's Passenger Trains, to be published by the American Enterprise Institute tomorrow. In the introduction he writes, "Having second thoughts about one's convictions is a growth experience. I should know, because I had helped create Amtrak, and later advocated its expansion. In my exuberance for train travel, I was one of Amtrak's staunchest supporters. I've since recognized that my advocacy ignored powerful forces in the travel marketplace, and I helped perpetuate a discredited transportation concept. I offer a mea culpa to American travelers, commuters, and taxpayers."

Why the Empire Line seems like London ....

... or do I just need a career change?
ThisisLondon reports commuting to London is "is more stressful than being a fighter pilot in combat, or a police officer in a riot .... Psychologist Dr David Lewis, who led the research, warns that commuters could suffer serious heart problems ... The key for commuters is the feeling they are not in control, this is what makes them lose their temper."

Smashing excuse for a tardy train

The Toledo Blade reports that, "No one was hurt yesterday when an Amtrak passenger train hit a stalled automobile at a railroad crossing on State Rt. 163, authorities said .... Amtrak's eastbound Lake Shore Limited, bound for New York City from Chicago and Toledo, had 156 passengers and a crew of about 10 aboard when it hit the car about 1:35 a.m., Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said. The train resumed its journey after a 103-minute delay."

A little tact goes a long way dept.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - A man unhappy with the food service on Amtrak was sentenced to nearly four years in prison for making calls from his cell phone saying there was a bomb on the train he was riding. Conwill had pleaded guilty in August to making the threats July 6, saying he was angry at being served food that contained hot peppers. He said they caused an allergic reaction. The five calls came as the train, en route from Seattle, rolled through Sauk and Juneau counties. It was stopped in Portage and passengers were taken to a school for several hours while the train was searched. No bombs were found.

Two Amtrak accidents in less than a week...

AP reports that, "The derailment of an Amtrak train Thursday night disrupted rail service through New Haven Friday, and temporarily halted service for some Metro-North commuters. The Acela Express, traveling from Boston to Washington, D.C., got stuck on the tracks in New Haven when the rear passenger car derailed, Amtrak said. Two passengers suffered minor injuries. After leaving the New Haven's Union Station shortly after 9 p.m., the train's engineer noticed some damage to overhead lines and the signal system, and the decision was made to send the train back to New Haven, said Cliff Black, an Amtrak spokesman. The train was backing up at a slow rate of speed when the rear coach derailed."

The Saint-Louis Post Dispatch reports, a "teenager was injured Tuesday when an Amtrak train smashed his car into three pieces as he crossed railroad tracks, ignoring warnings signaling the train's approach."