Amtrak Service Reductions

[C855B]

In a suspiciously late response to the severe downturn in patronage due to COVID-19, earlier this week Amtrak announced across-the-board cuts in service on basically all routes:

  https://media.amtrak.com/2020/06/amtrak-updates-to-service/

While the press release didn't detail the cuts, in summary long-distance trains are reduced to three a week, and in-state services have annulled certain trainset schedules (#391 & 392 in our town, f'rinstance). A couple of short-haul trains are off the schedule entirely.

I say "suspiciously" for a couple of reasons... first, why are these schedules being hacked now when most regions are in the throes of reopening? Two months ago would have made sense.

Second, these kinds of drastic cuts have long been planned by the interests working towards dismantling Amtrak entirely. Up to this point the tactic has mostly been death by a thousand cuts. Plus, word is out that many or even most of these cuts are slated to be made permanent in October. I don't know if anyone else has tried, but from firsthand attempts making connections around even one 3X-weekly train in your itinerary seriously screws the works. With all interstate trains reduced to that schedule, it's all over but the crying.

IMO, once the cuts are "permanent", they are permanent. The RRs will fight tooth and nail to keep passenger service off their rails once it's off. Certain lines will be lost forever, such as Raton Pass, and I wouldn't be surprised to see UP cut the Moffat Tunnel line.

Up until a couple of years ago we rode sleepers regularly, until the nickel-and-dime cuts made it unpleasant. I don't know about anybody else here, but we haven't flown in a decade and will never fly again; I can't see rewarding a business model of "see just how much the customer will endure when they have no other choice". So losing the trains will kink our long-haul travel to driving only, and we're getting too old for that.

Given the losses in quality-of-life with "new normal" becoming a constant drumbeat on every turn of the calendar, it's no wonder we're depressed.

[Hyperion]

In regards to the "suspiciously late response", Amtrak's been operating on a severely reduced schedule for months now, with about 60% fewer trains running since late-March.  There just was no press release about it and relatively few routes were abandoned altogether, just severely reduced.  This is just a notice that some of those cancellations will continue and some routes are being halted.

And that the suspension of long-distance train service to 3-days-a-week will extend beyond October is no rumor.    Employees have been notified that will be happening.  And, yes, you can consider this change to be permanent.

Amtrak is expecting its ridership will only rise back to about 50% of what it was pre-COVID.  That's at best.  Over the next couple of years.  For services that were struggling as it was, a 50% reduction in demand is just untenable.

Unfortunately the odds of long-distance service surviving more than a few years isn't that great.

[Maletrain]

Realizing that there is going to be a lot less enthusiasm for flying as we come out of this pandemic situation, but the need for travel will certainly ramp-up, I am not so sure that Amtrak is headed for the history books.  With the "Green New Deal" and other political pressures on travel, especially the already electrified ROWs would seem to get some love from governments, as well as us.

[C855B]

OK, in so many words, Amtrak is done. A skeleton may make it to the 50th anniversary, but beyond that, evidently all bets are off.

As far as "green" transportation of people is concerned, since use of the current infrastructure is being written off, any replacement will not be in place in our remaining years, maybe for our children. Sad.

[Rivet Miscounter]

This is not a slight to Mark at all, but what he wrote is the Cliff's Notes version of articles that have been in Trains magazine every few years almost since Amtrak started.    To say the 3 days a week is permanent...well it was "permanent" 20 years ago and again about 10 years ago yet somehow you turn around and they're back to daily.

I enjoy Amtrak.  I've probably ridden more long-haul train miles than most.  Admittedly I don't know enough about the industry to make a trusted commentary on the subject, but I believe that Amtrak should be privatized. (assuming a continuing base performance level by the railroads)   This isn't a political statement at all mind you...I just would like to see a company with a culture and passion for putting out a good product.   Whatever Amtrak is, it isn't that.    When I ride Amtrak, I just shake my head at how they almost go out of their way to create a caustic environment for their customers....missed opportunity after missed opportunity to "get it right".   I'm pretty easy-going and able to roll with the punches enough that I manage to fight past it and squeeze enjoyment out of the experience despite them.  But I so wish I could see Amtrak run by folks that had a stake, and that had a passion and love for rail travel.

[Mark5]

but I believe that Amtrak should be privatized

A "privatized" Amtrak would mean the end of rail service. There is not one passenger rail service on this planet that is not subsidized.

Mark

[Hyperion]

This is not a slight to Mark at all, but what he wrote is the Cliff's Notes version of articles that have been in Trains magazine every few years almost since Amtrak started.    To say the 3 days a week is permanent...well it was "permanent" 20 years ago and again about 10 years ago yet somehow you turn around and they're back to daily.

No slight taken.   I hope I'm wrong and you're right.

Of course no one's got a crystal ball and "permanent" is a strong word.  My intent was simply that the schedule change on the long-distance trains is not a temporary thing related directly to COVID that is expected to change.   The Amtrak leadership is not expecting that to change for the foreseeable future and the budget for the next year reflects that reality.

Of course things could change.  But things will have to swing far, far more positively in Amtrak's direction over the next few years than they EVER have, if long-distance trains are to remain a reality in the long-term.  Amtrak's celebrated in the past when ridership simply hasn't gone down.  Or increases slightly.   It's going to take strong double-digit gains for years just to get back to where things were in 2019 and, right now, they're just not expecting that to happen.

The only good thing is that, if anything, PSR makes dealing with the occasional Amtrak easier than before.  And revenue is revenue and is ever more important when chasing that operating ratio.   So, unlike Mike, I don't believe that Amtrak's biggest hurdle at increasing route frequency when/if they need to in the future will be the freight roads. 

[nickelplate759]

A "privatized" Amtrak would mean the end of rail service. There is not one passenger rail service on this planet that is not subsidized.

Mark

Actually, the same is true of nearly all passenger transportation.  It's that in some cases (like US airlines and much US road traffic, but there are many others) the subsidy is structured so that private operators can operate at a profit because they don't bear the entire cost of the infrastructure.

It's neither right nor wrong, but it is different.  What would US passenger rail be like if the subsidies were structured like they are for airlines?  I think the UK has done something like this, but I'm not certain it's worked all that well.

[Rivet Miscounter]

A "privatized" Amtrak would mean the end of rail service. There is not one passenger rail service on this planet that is not subsidized.

That's why I qualified it with the assumption of a base performance level, which would almost assuredly come in the form of subsidies.  And I get it...politics and the economics of it all make it a tough proposition.  Not disputing that at all, or that maybe I'm completely wrong.   But I do know that Amtrak can be better--and should be better.  I don't care how cash strapped and hamstrung they perpetually claim to be.

[John]

I've ridden trains all over the world. Most of my experience was in Europe, where rail travel is encouraged, the trains are well-maintained, they are mostly on time, and I can get anywhere in Europe in a relatively short time.

 I've also written Amtrak a few times. The most recent was a trip from Baltimore to New York City. We picked up the train at BWI.  It was a regional Express. Took about 3 hours with stops in Baltimore Newark Delaware and I think one other place. Once we got into the city and got off the train or were dropped off in this filthy station, with bathrooms that stunk, homeless people, vagrants beggars and the common drunks that seem to congregate around the station.

The train ride up to New York City which was relatively pleasant, if you consider that the train hadn't been cleaned and the cafe car had little worthwhile food. Of course I don't ride the train for a three-star meal either.

Returning the next day we were met by chaos in the station and the aforementioned vagrants and nauseating smell around the bathrooms. The level of cleanliness in the station and  passenger accommodations we're less than optimal. And with the exception of southern Italy I doubt that you would find anything similar in northern Europe.  The train left late but did manage to make up some time on the way south.

I could not picture me traveling across country in anything less than a full sleeper, and then only if there wasn't any other way to get there, unless I just wanted to do it for fun.

[Mark5]

That's why I qualified it with the assumption of a base performance level, which would almost assuredly come in the form of subsidies.  And I get it...politics and the economics of it all make it a tough proposition.  Not disputing that at all, or that maybe I'm completely wrong.   But I do know that Amtrak can be better--and should be better.  I don't care how cash strapped and hamstrung they perpetually claim to be.

Ok, I get it. This article from a few years ago makes some good points along these lines:

https://www.railwayage.com/passenger/the-amtrak-era-is-over-its-time-for-a-replacement/

Amtrak definitely can be better. I agree with the point in the article that the government needs to change its thinking (policy) towards it or it won't get better (this is not a new thing).

Mark

[Jbub]

Everytime I've ridden CZ from Salt lake it's been about 70% capacity in coach and the sleepers were close to sold out. People ride the train. It's for the most part enjoyable, but the equipment is showing its age and no one at the top seems to care that rail travel is vital to a lot of people.

[CBQ Fan]

The comparison of anything European to the US always bugs me. The scale alone is off base that it has little to no merit to me.  Each country is the equivalent of 2-3 Midwest size states. Taxing structure and scope of size for rail projects do not equate.

[prr7161]

I've also written Amtrak a few times. The most recent was a trip from Baltimore to New York City. We picked up the train at BWI.  It was a regional Express. Took about 3 hours with stops in Baltimore Newark Delaware and I think one other place. Once we got into the city and got off the train or were dropped off in this filthy station, with bathrooms that stunk, homeless people, vagrants beggars and the common drunks that seem to congregate around the station.

Penn Station is thankfully not that typical of most Amtrak stations.  I've been in and out of DC, Chicago, and Pittsburgh on Amtrak as well and all are at least passable and, in the case of DC, even impressive.  NYP is a situation where everyone and no-one is responsible for anything, given all the agencies involved, and so it is a disaster.  On top of the original disaster of taking an architectural landmark and leveling it in favor of a jumped-up subway station.  FWIW they are hard at work on the Moynihan station replacement underneath the old Post Office on 9th ave., and with luck that will help alleviate some of the traffic problems for both people and trains.

[Maletrain]

I also took the train from BWI to Springfield Massachusetts and back the last 2 Januaries, and it was certainly a better experience than flying.  Of course, I didn't get off the train in NYC.  The last time I did that was in the 1970s, and I regretted it even then.  The last time I rode sleepers was in 1968, on B&O and NP, so I can't comment on sleepers of today. (Aren't they the same cars, still?)