[OKC] FW: [passrailok] This Week on the Corridor: Editoral Federal Operational Stimulus

Fri Apr 10 06:26:20 PDT 2009

From: passrailok at yahoogroups.com [mailto:passrailok at yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf Of evanstair at passengerrailok.org
Sent: Friday, April 10, 2009 8:21 AM
To: passrailok at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [passrailok] This Week on the Corridor: Editoral Federal
Operational Stimulus

OPERATIONAL STIMULUS?

With all the new federal capital investment in Amtrak comes this story from
Billings, MT. The Pioneer was a Long Distance train that operated from
Chicago to Portland, OR. It was discontinued in the dark days of 1997. The
train operated as a part of the monster combined California Zephyr, Desert
Wind, Pioneer if I remember correctly. When I rode it in 1991 it split in
Salt Lake City, but a few weeks later it split in Denver. 

Tempering excitement is in order. The Pioneer route ended 12 years ago. It
is no more a legacy Amtrak route than the Lone Star that operated between
Chicago and Houston. Unlike the Sunset Limited east of New Orleans, the
route has been removed from Amtrak's timetables. Amtrak's inability to
introduce Long Distance service during the past two decades is actually
"policy" until any of us hear differently. The decade long expansion trend
is through supplemental state funding.

The Pioneer route will be studied. This is a federal requirement. Had more
support come from Middle America, other studies would have been required,
such as reintroducing the Lone Star between Chicago and Houston. However,
remember these are just studies. Amtrak is not obligated to "move dirt."
Unfortunately, Middle America wants Congress out of their business and
pocketbooks. Despite the fact that Amtrak is in reality an interstate
passenger rail carrier, Congress still desires to shirk their interstate
commerce responsibility on the states.

What would a reintroduced Pioneer resemble? If recent history is
considered, it could be roughly a 775 mile route, and that just between
Salt Lake City and Portland (about 15 hours). If Amtrak goes through
Cheyenne, WY the route is about 1,300 miles (about 26 hours). The burning
question following the study will be, "Who will pay for operation when
Congress pressures states to fund Amtrak operations?" 

Will the Congressmen and Senators who pushed the study increase Amtrak's
annual operating budget to cover Pioneer operating losses? If so, will this
set an operational funding warming trend? I personally desire this and an
associated flood of future requests. Amtrak's system is less-than-skeletal
and it is therefore drastically inefficient. Certain efficiencies can be
gained only through business expansion. The nation might find that it gets
more bang for the buck with Amtrak expansion. The question for any route
study, "Is the proportional benefit to increased operational funding
greater than the increased operational loss?" This can only be measured by
looking at Amtrak's national system as a whole and tweaking it for
efficiency (less loss), and not profit. In an era of super computers,
unlike 1970-1971 an Amtrak system efficiency study is possible.

Capital funding is easy when examining the provisions of recently approved
federal legislation. However, After Amtrak repairs its rolling stock, which
would have to include diners and sleeping cars for a long distance Pioneer,
will any Northwest state legislature approve funding for a train that
operates in their territory at Dark:30? I can already hear the debate in
the various state legislatures who might get the 3:00am train. 

This has always been the supplemental state funding challenge. It is why
the Lone Star has not returned in full and why the Heartland Flyer remains
stub ended in Oklahoma City. I speculate that until federal policy for
Amtrak operational funding changes, you will not see many state funded
routes introduced over the 500 mile - 10 hour transit time.

Evan Stair
Vice President - Oklahoma
Northern Flyer Alliance
www.NorthFlyer.org

http://billingsgazette.net/articles/2009/04/09/news/wyoming/26-amtrak.txt

Cheyenne on board with Amtrak route restoration
By Gazette News Services
CHEYENNE - It's been a dozen years since Cheyenne has had passenger rail
service, but there's talk about Amtrak restoring its old Pioneer route
through the state.

Mayor Rick Kaysen, the economic development group Cheyenne LEADS and the
Cheyenne Area Convention and Visitors Bureau all have written letters
urging Amtrak to restore the route.

Laramie, Rawlins, Green River, Rock Springs and Evanston also were stops on
the route between Denver and Seattle. The Pioneer ran from 1977 to 1997 and
through Wyoming from 1991 to 1997.

Amtrak abandoned the line after it posted a $20 million loss in 1996.

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