[AmericanEmpire]

I guess you better be ready to stay put or walk or bicycle lots and lots of miles, huh?

[OneLoneClone]

Damn its like this country is doing EVERYTHING wrong.

I loved travelling by rail when I lived in Eastern Europe. I tell you, those Soviet engineers built some fine rails and subways back in the day.

Oh man and the beautiful ICE trains in western europe - now THAT is travel.

In honesty, tho, Amtrak has NEVER measured up to other countries rail systems.

[Starvid]

Hehe, and I am complaining that the Swedish politicians can't get themselves to build a 350 km/h high speed rail net in this country, while you won't even have a rail net!

[BabyPeanut]

Amtrak needs goverment subsidies to function. This is because the rest of the transportation systems get subsidies so they can force Amtrak to charge less.

Transportation in the US is being levatated against US inflation. Of course it's unthinkable to charge passengers the true cost of transporation--they'd be less inclined to live beyond their means.

[lawnchair]

I wonder if the inevitable death of Amtrak will really affect the capacity of the freight lines that they operate on (BNSF,UP,NS,CSX,CN)? Some of these lines (the UP in particular) are notorious for delaying Amtrak trains for freight. They have also been notorious for gryping about having to allow Amtrak trains on their lines.

Not that they don't have a point. The North American freight-rail network is severely overstretched. We have less rail than before WWII (more double-tracked rail, but less network diversity), but 10x the material*miles carried. The railroads don't want to expand their network, because there's little marginal profit compared to the expense. Also, they have to build, maintain, and pay property tax on their right of way. On the other side, one major passenger airline has a repair hub nearby (in Kansas City), on publicly owned land, in a public-bond-built building, with tax exemptions galore.

Sad about Amtrak. Stuck in an absolute lie about "free market forces" and damaged by some truly awful management (before Gunn... who was probably the best guy possible for the position). But, 90% of the employees are some of the most helpful and committed workers I've dealt with. I will miss it.

And, as Greyhound slowly dies (my town is down to 2 Greyhound departures, from 10 five years back), the future of non-driving/non-aviation intercity transit in the States involves practicing your Spanish. Fly-by-night Mexican (or Chinatown) bus carriers are the only way left.

[rogerhb]

Mass transport derailed?

Amtrack hit the buffers?

No light at the end of the tunnel?

The theory of perspective is wrong, the rails do actually narrow at the horizon.

[BabyPeanut]

It's no wonder all the poor get squashed by hurricanes. If you don't have a car, you can't get out of harm's way.

[Revi]

My sister told me that there are Chinese busses that go from Boston on down the east coast that are supposed to be cheaper and more reliable than the major buslines. On Amtrak, the Acela is still running is it not?

[Wildwell]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Starvid', 'H')ehe, and I am complaining that the Swedish politicians can't get themselves to build a 350 km/h high speed rail net in this country, while you won't even have a rail net!

[Andy]

I guess Bush and his cronies will not stop until AMTRAK is dead. What is wrong with these fools?????? The very opposite of what is required

[rogerhb]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Andy', 'I') guess Bush and his cronies will not stop until AMTRAK is dead. What is wrong with these fools?????? The very opposite of what is required

[EdF]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Revi', 'M')y sister told me that there are Chinese busses that go from Boston on down the east coast that are supposed to be cheaper and more reliable than the major buslines. On Amtrak, the Acela is still running is it not?

[Trindelm]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Revi', 'M')y sister told me that there are Chinese busses that go from Boston on down the east coast that are supposed to be cheaper and more reliable than the major buslines. On Amtrak, the Acela is still running is it not?

[cube]

Don't worry folks Amtrak is not going out of business anytime soon. If you look at the history of Amtrak you'll notice (on average) the company has filed for bankruptcy more times then a welfare mother on crack. Everytime Amtrak has filed for bankruptcy the government pulls them back from the dead with a loan bailout. It happens everytime.

Amtrak is a private for profit company that does not make a profit and is runned more like a government bureaucracy. What's the old saying?

"There's nothing more permanent then a temporary government program."

here's a good read:
http://search.csmonitor.com/specials/amtrak/index.html

[shakespear1]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', ',') one major passenger airline has a repair hub nearby (in Kansas City), on publicly owned land, in a public-bond-built building, with tax exemptions galore.

[I_Like_Plants]

Yes, we are indeed failing the civilization test: link

[Chaparral]

time to thin the herd. As times get tougher, well see the resurgence of highwaymen on lonely interstates and sparsely populates stretches of track. It will be time to pack, time to shoot and time to shut up. It will be time to weld grilles onto the fronts of things to lessen the damage from impacts.

[I_Like_Plants]

Yeah that's my feeling. Find the perps, hunt 'em down, and hang 'em.

Don't fuck with the trains.

[MD]

I'd like to hear the details behind this story. Where's the root cause for this very odd behavior? Personal vendetta? Some conflict between rail service and local population? Random act of violence by another group of disillusioned teenagers?

What's up?

[Specop_007]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MD', 'I')'d like to hear the details behind this story. Where's the root cause for this very odd behavior? Personal vendetta? Some conflict between rail service and local population? Random act of violence by another group of disillusioned teenagers? What's up?