Posted on 03/13/2010 5:48:08 AM PST by Willie Green
My family used Amtrak for a vacation to Sea World when we lived in California. We took the train from LA to San Diego and a shuttle bus to the park and back to the train station.
It was one of the easiest trips I had. Lots of room and the kids made friends with other kids in the same car. I would do something like that again.
It was one of the easiest trips I had. Lots of room and the kids made friends with other kids in the same car. I would do something like that again.
Sure is a more relaxing way to travel than having the kids crammed into the backseat of the car for 12 hours with all the luggage.
Besides visiting our National Parks, you can expolore other vacation packages at Amtrakvacations.com.
Be sure to thank the taxpayers, Willie. 93% of Amtrak’s routes regularly lose money.....
Watch the Travel Channel when they show ‘The American Orient Express’.
Fantastic train trip through several Western national parks.
Gourmet dining, etc.
Ain’t cheap though.
93% of Amtrak’s routes regularly lose money.....
That's because 97% of the track is privately owned by the freight carriers.
Why does that matter? Track use fees paid to the owners of the rail lines are just one of the costs of doing business and should be figured into the ticket price, not subsidized by the taxpayers. If Amtrak owned the lines they’d have to pay for their initial construction, plus ongoing maintenance and security issues. Use fees are just another expense of doing business, just like fuel, labor and maintenance. Passenger train travel is either efficient and competitive with other forms of travel, or it isn’t. The truth is it isn’t at all efficient or competitive with other forms of travel, as has been pointed out to you by dozens of Freepers in response to your various posts. Most of the commercial airports in the USA are owned by the municipalities that they serve, not the airlines, but both the airlines and the airports make money just about everywhere. It’s a tight, competitive market and that further adds to the high efficiency of air travel. Amtrak doesn’t compete with any other passenger trains, yet still can’t survive without taxpayer money. Kind of like TVA, PBS, Fannie, Freddie and all the other boondoggles where the gubmint tries to interfere with the free market.....
This is perfect for when the marxists end automobile travel to the parks.
Why does that matter?
It matters because the freight lines will not upgrade/maintain the tracks to provide faster and more timely, competitive passenger service although it is the heavier freight traffic that contributes most to track wear & tear.
National Parks could become re-education camps, how handy. Take the train, hop on, everyone!
I’ll keep my auto, thank you.
I was lucky as a kid to take a family train trip vacation when the railroads still prided themselves on top notch passenger service. We rode the California Zephir from Omaha to San Francisco, the California Daylight from San Fransisco to LA and the Union Pacific from LA back to Omaha. Very fond memories, but I doubt Amtrak would live up to those standards. As fed up as most of us are getting with the TSA and airlines, perhaps private passenger rail service could make a come back.
Well, then, Amtrak needs to build their own lines if they don’t like what is available. No, wait, they can’t do that. They don’t have any money, except what they can bilk out of the taxpayers. There is a very good reason why no one in the private sector is operating passenger trains anymore. It ain’t profitable because they ain’t efficient for moving people and they are very expensive to maintain. Forest, meet trees.....
“If you’re planning your summer vacation, consider seeing America’s beautiful National Parks by Amtrak!”
You’ll just love the stale food and overflowing toilets!
Or better sharing toilets with other people while taking the train cross country..
Well, then, Amtrak needs to build their own lines if they don’t like what is available. No, wait, they can’t do that. They don’t have any money, except what they can bilk out of the taxpayers.
IMHO, the Taxpayers should use eminent domain to seize ownership of the tracks.
That way the freight and passenger lines could share the taxpayer-owned rails just like the trucking and busing companies share the taxpayer owned Interstates. (Or just like the freight and passenger airlines share the taxpayer owned airports and air traffic control system. Or just like they way passenger cruise ships and freighters share taxpayer-owned harbors and ports.)
Privately owned transportation rights-of-way are an abomination and an offense against American's freedom.
Really? Where would I find that in the Constitution?
” 93% of Amtrak’s routes regularly lose money.....
That’s because 97% of the track is privately owned by the freight carriers.”
No, it’s because Amtrak is unionized.
Love standing in line at the next station - if you can hold it that long... the stench in the toliet area of the train car is only bested by the overflow around your sneakers.... :)
No, it’s because Amtrak is unionized.
So are the private freight carriers.
And they're the ones that control the tracks.
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