By Russ Jackson, Guest Commentator; February 14, 2022
The chance the U.S. Congress majority will turn from Blue to Red this fall is large. In that case, what would happen to Amtrak if anyone “up there” decides to pay attention to it? After the huge Infrastructure and Pandemic spending bills that sprayed all kinds of money (make that BILLIONS of dollars) into the nation’s passenger railroad’s coffers the hope is that someone “up there” will be looking to see where that money actually goes. Rail advocates don’t trust the current management to do what they should and/or are supposed to do.
I think Amtrak management will “win” because no one “up there” will pay sufficient attention despite all of our hollering, and Amtrak will go on a Northeast Corridor-based spending spree despite the provision in the Infrastructure bill that mandates “Long Distance routes are valuable resources of the U.S. that are used by rural and urban communities.” There are too many “shoulds” instead of “shalls” in that legislation. “ConnectUS” is a waste of time and tax dollars that will produce very little. Also, it’s time passenger rail management was run by “real railroaders,” as Bruce Richardson has written, so how do we keep all the long distance trains from being thrown in the pickle barrel?
Here is a potential outcome that shows what I fear could happen outside the NEC when Amtrak gets through with all of us in “flyover country.” This plan is no threat to either the Red or Blue factions “up there” in Washington or in the states. I cannot see a Red Congress setting up a new Federal organization to run a separate “money-losing” (we know it isn’t) program (even if we think that is the way to go)! Long distance passenger trains must continue to exist! Because the NEC would be left intact, those Blue States would not object. Do I advocate what I’ve written? NO, (see 7b below) and you won’t either. Here’s what I think possibly COULD happen:
1. Congress would not play around with the NEC or the Blue states it runs through because it would be a separate Federal entity, to survive or not survive on its own as Andrew Selden has long advocated.
NEC-Amtrak would expand to include Maine and Virginia as Paul Dyson has recommended, make the AutoTrain an NEC-Amtrak route and require the CSX to run it. NEC-Amtrak would also run one long distance train as its own.
Only funds allocated by the Congress for the NEC could be spent in the NEC.
2. Amtrak “as we know it” west of the Potomac River would cease to exist. In exchange for getting “Amtrak off their backs,” each “host” railroad would be required to run ONE of the existing daily long distance trains that are now on their tracks as their own for a minimum of ten years. See the possibilities below.
3. Superliner cars and P-40 locomotive fleets would be allocated to the western railroads at no cost, written off by Amtrak.
The new long-distance Charger locomotives would be allocated also, and all Viewliner and Amfleet II Intercity cars would be allocated to the eastern railroads and to NEC-Amtrak which would keep the Auto Train fleet. All eastern trains would use low-level cars.
4. The USDOT/FRA would be in charge of this two-year transition. Funds from all of Amtrak’s BILLIONS would be utilized to implement and continue this ten-year national plan. Amtrak would have no veto power.
The ConnectUS program would be withdrawn from Amtrak control and its funds would be used for state-supported trains, their improvements and additions only when each state applies to the FRA. Freight railroads would be required to cooperate with state corridor plans and could draw on this fund to implement them.
The FRA would be the national “banker” of Federal money allocated under this plan, just as Caltrans is for the California corridors.
5. All railroads would be required to maintain a safe high quality of equipment, onboard service (including food and beverages available to all) (with a BLT added, as i have advocated), reliable timekeeping, and do extensive marketing for the trains they “own.” Outside vendors may be contracted.
Former Amtrak maintenance shops could be jointly owned/operated.
6. NEC-Amtrak could continue to be a contract operator for state-supported trains, but would be required to re-bid each one.
7. Here’s what I think the “host” freight railroads and the FRA might do if this plan was adopted:
a. Norfolk Southern and CSX would end the Lake Shore Limited, Capitol Limited, Palmetto, Crescent, and the Cardinal.
NS and CSX then would be required to run both Silver Service trains daily as their own, with connections to Brightline at their southern terminals at Orlando, Florida.
The daily Carolinian would be run jointly by NEC-Amtrak, the NS, CSX, and the State of North Carolina, and be extended from Charlotte to Atlanta and on weekends to New Orleans.
A new train (The 21st Century Limited?) would be started to run daily between New York-Pittsburg-Cleveland-Chicago, with a Washington, D.C. connecting train at Pittsburgh. This new train would be part of NEC-Amtrak, its only solely-operated long distance train other than Auto Train.
b. The Union Pacific would end the Texas Eagle and the Sunset Limited. They are the UP’s biggest headaches.
UP might also end the California Zephyr west of Denver but would be required to contract with the Rocky Mountaineer or another operator to run a tourist-oriented train on this route daily.
The UP would keep the lucratlve Coast Starlight as its one required daily train, on its present route and schedule.
To mitigate some of the effect of its cancellations, the UP would be required to allow access, for example so Arizona could start Phoenix to Tucson trains, and an eventual expansion that would include Los Angeles to Phoenix-Tucson. ConnectUS funds would be used for these trains, and the UP would be granted a percent of the required funds to restore the Wellton to Phoenix line or build a shorter line north from Gila Bend.
c. The Burlington Northern Santa Fe might end the California Zephyr between Denver and Chicago unless an operator could be found for it.
The states of Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas would be required to run the daily Heartland Flyer as a state-supported train on the BNSF, extend it from Oklahoma City to Newton (and eventually beyond) and from Ft. Worth to San Antonio with the UP, using ConnectUS funds.
The BNSF would retain the Southwest Chief as its required daily train, on its present route and schedule, and the railroad would restore it to AT&SF premium quality, renaming it the Super Chief. ConnectUS funds would be allocated for Colorado to start a Denver to La Junta connecting train.
The BNSF would be required to allow the Empire Builder daily on its present route and schedule, but NEC-Amtrak would run it until a coalition group could be formed to take over this train.
d. The new Canadian Pacific Kansas City Southern would be required to continue carrying the Empire Builder between Chicago and St. Paul and continue the agreement to start a second frequency on that segment with ConnectUS funds.
Negotiations would continue with the CPKCS to start their required new daily train, using ConnectUS funds, from Ft. Worth to Jackson, Mississippe along the railroad’s “Speedway” line (the Southern Belle?) to connect with the City of New Orleans, and on weekends to Meridian, Missippi to connect with the Carolinian.
e. Canadian National would be required to retain the daily City of New Orleans on its present route and schedule.
The Gulf Coast Coalition would pursue its Baton Rouge to Mobile plans with an eventual extension to Tallahassee and Jacksonville. ConnectUS funds would continue to support this program.
I knew you’d hate it. This plan would require Congressional approval, but as I’ve said above, with that new Congress the opposition would be minimum … except from railfans, some states, and the usual apologists. If adopted the result would be a smaller, but stronger system of passenger rail, and its management would be in the hands of “real railroaders.” The railroads would have the ability to expand service anytime they wanted to add or restore a train within their system, and the existing state-supported corridor trains would be saved.
I’m having a nightmare, right? No, I think everyone could win. Or is this just April Fools Day two months in advance? It wouldn’t be a sweet pickle plan, it would be a sour dill, but national intercity passenger rail would continue to exist instead of being eliminated entirely … which does appear to be Amtrak management’s current goal.