- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
re: Amtrak vs freight railroads
Posted on 4/7/22 at 9:25 am to NOLATiger163
Posted on 4/7/22 at 9:25 am to NOLATiger163
quote:
So it's not the two, twelve-car trains per day--it's that those trains want to operate on a 'get out of my way!' basis. Imagine trying to work your freight trains around that.
Ok, THAT makes some sense. Still, depending on traffic, I think you could schedule that (knowing delays would happen, just like they do in the air, on the roads, on ships, etc).
I don't think Amtrak should get any special rights... if that's what they are after, then that is an issue.
0
Posted on 4/7/22 at 9:26 am to Horsemeat
quote:
Who TF is going to take Amtrak to Mobile or Tallahassee and rent a car when it'd be cheaper in the long run just do drive?
it is probably faster too.
Posted on 4/7/22 at 9:29 am to NOLATiger163
quote:
it's that those trains want to operate on a 'get out of my way!' basis.
Except that Amtrak passenger service generally yield right-of-way to freight when on leased tracks. So I really don't know what you're referring to there.
Posted on 4/7/22 at 9:33 am to LSUFanHouston
Money. It’s money. The tracks and associated signaling will have to be upgraded to passenger train specs and CSX does not want to pay for it. Freight trains don’t mind bouncing/swaying along at 45 mph but passengers don’t like spilling their drinks and being tossed about at 60 mph.
Posted on 4/7/22 at 9:43 am to LSUFanHouston
quote:Their service ratings are absolutely cratering after a decade of PSR ( Precision Scheduled Railroading), so much so that the CEO's of the Class 1's were hauled in front of the feds after they have been getting complaints of how inefficient the rails have become in comparison to trucking. The CEO's and investment firms that have no idea what they're doing have bled every penny out of the industry to improve stock prices and dividends by cutting train crews to skeletal levels, cutting out branches and digging up rails, shutting down yards and digging up the humps and rails, cutting out maintenance crews and inspections, etc.
I thought the whole deal these days with them was that they were trying to be more timely and accurate. Is that not working out?
Just look at the list of worst employers in the US and notice how three of the top five are Class 1 railroads. It's sad.
Posted on 4/7/22 at 9:54 am to SantaFe
quote:
The tracks and associated signaling will have to be upgraded to passenger train specs and CSX does not want to pay for it. Freight trains don’t mind bouncing/swaying along at 45 mph but passengers don’t like spilling their drinks and being tossed about at 60 mp
Is that different than pre-katrina?
Any upgrades needed for passenger need to be paid for by Amtrak.
Posted on 4/7/22 at 10:01 am to Dire Wolf
quote:
Who TF is going to take Amtrak to Mobile or Tallahassee and rent a car when it'd be cheaper in the long run just do drive?
quote:
it is probably faster too.
It sure is. Check out this map to how the gulf coast east-west railroad actually runs:
New Orleans to Mobile is not a bad run, but look at what the rail line does once you get to Mobile. Goes WAY up north of Mobile Bay and the Florida/Alabama line and heads east to Flomaton, comes all the way down to downtown Pensacola, then goes back up north of I-10, and generally parallels Hwy 90 east to Tallahassee.
Other than downtown Pensacola, it's nowhere near any of the beach destinations like Navarre, Ft. Walton, Destin, 30-A, or Panama City Beach.
This post was edited on 4/12/22 at 3:59 pm
Posted on 4/7/22 at 10:07 am to LegendInMyMind
quote:
Freight railroads ain't what they used to be. There seems to be more hurry up and wait than there used to be. The old "set your clock by the railroad" mentality is no more.
That mentality was tied to passenger service. There was also a time when freight & passenger services were combined but I think that was primarily early in the railroads existence and delays were a constant issue then as well.
Posted on 4/7/22 at 10:17 am to Horsemeat
quote:
Just look at the list of worst employers in the US and notice how three of the top five are Class 1 railroads. It's sad.
Sad but not surprising. A lot of the people I work with at all 3 of the class I’s on this list seem miserable. They’ve really gone downhill with the advent of PSR. It’s a shame. NS in particular used to be a great place to work back when Wick Moorman was in charge.
Posted on 4/7/22 at 10:24 am to LSUFanHouston
Freight haulers don’t want the added aggravation of having Amtrak there, so they’ll fight it. Right now they have zero delays because of Amtrak. They don’t want to increase that at all.
Posted on 4/7/22 at 10:26 am to VolsOut4Harambe
quote:
CSX claims traffic has changed drastically since then, yet are unwilling to provide data. Anecdotally, I’d say traffic has decreased.
They are probably try to angle their way into getting taxpayers to upgrade their tracks.
Posted on 4/7/22 at 10:32 am to LSUFanHouston
quote:
(quote: browl
I don't blame them. Letting Amtrak on the tracks would be like letting the mafia or the cartel on the tracks, but worse.)
(quote: LSUFanHouston What do you mean by this?)
Posted on 4/7/22 at 10:39 am to browl
Is AOC calling for all the railroads to be completely electric yet?
Posted on 4/7/22 at 10:44 am to TheHarahanian
quote:
Freight haulers don’t want the added aggravation of having Amtrak there, so they’ll fight it. Right now they have zero delays because of Amtrak. They don’t want to increase that at all.
That makes sense but it seems like they are really laying on the theatrics.
Posted on 4/7/22 at 10:46 am to Horsemeat
quote:
PSR
As a layman, that sounds like a really good plan, right? More scheduling, fewer touches, more point to point service, less time with cars laid up waiting to be switched.
Those things generally improve customer service.
So what happened? I've read it seems a lot of the issues come not from the idea per se, but that they are trying to do all of this with a lot less workers.
Posted on 4/7/22 at 10:56 am to LSUFanHouston
I'm pretty sure amtrak gets paid a large amount for every minute it's delayed by the rail it's on.. (up, kcs, bnsf, csx, ns..) so I can see why these companies don't want that headache for marginal gain.
This post was edited on 4/7/22 at 10:56 am
Posted on 4/7/22 at 2:32 pm to LSUFanHouston
Have you seen the figures for what Amtrak has been paid over the years by uncle sam?
Page 2 of 2
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News