A Response to Amtrak Connects US

Northeast

In the long overdue department are restoring St. Albans to Montreal service, new frequencies between New York and Toronto and some version of the Inland Route. Long Island service, on the other hand, is a head scratcher.

Southeast

The missing link between Petersburg and Raleigh, Western NC, Wilmington service and the Christansburg extension are due to state efforts by North Carolina and Virginia. The Raleigh-Jacksonville portion of what used to be SEHSR does not make the cut even though NCDOT’s Southeast Corridor site has it listed. Another demerit is the lack of an east-west service in Virginia. Charlotte-Atlanta-also a part of future SEC service--is likely to be a competitor to Brightline, which is more than can be said in Florida (more on that later).

The Atlanta Hub is quite interesting. There has been talk about service to Chattanooga for years but extending it to Nashville would be the first time since the pre-Amtrak era is as much of a home run as reviving the Nancy Hanks route (to Savannah via Macon). The latter route was first brought up by Armstrong State University a decade ago so it’s a welcome surprise for Amtrak management to inadvertently follow a suggestion from the outside.

Producing a natural corridor in Florida is long overdue but even that comes with major baggage. Is this really a noble effort or is it a huge reaction to Brightline? When Brightline was first launched in 2012, the conventional Jacksonville-Miami FEC route was still in play despite being passed over for stimulus money by the Obama Administration. However, it is conspicuously missing from this map. Also missing are any kind of service via the S-Line, restoration to St. Petersburg and extensions to Naples and Venice. I would imagine that with corridor service along the A-Line, that a) the Silver Star will become a New York-Tampa train with Miami bound passengers transferring in Jacksonville; b) the Cross-Florida service will be a replacement so #91 and #92 don’t have to do the crisscross in Tampa; and c) both the Silver Star and Silver Meteor will have their restrictions on local travel extended up to Jacksonville.

South

Mobile-Jacksonville still being listed as “suspended” is extremely weak. We all know that Amtrak management and BOD have no interest in restoring service along that segment of what used to be Sunset East, so all involved need to drop the charade and officially list it as discontinued upon the Gulf Coast service turning a wheel.

Going to Central Alabama, while the service to Montgomery is nice (after all, it was the original route of the Crescent), the lack of connections is inexcusable. Birmingham-Montgomery-Mobile should be a thing at a minimum. Connecting it to the Gulf Coast as an alternative path between Atlanta and New Orleans should be the long-term goal.

Baton Rouge service resembles a commuter route more than an intercity one. Additional Fort Worth-Oklahoma City frequencies after 22 years are long needed while extending service to Newton, KS has been discussed for a long time. A conventional Texas Triangle corridor is a no-brainer.

Midwest

The Ohio Hub has been in the news over the past couple of months that I don’t need to say anything else. The Chicago-Indianapolis route, which should have never been eliminated, is back and extended to Louisville and Cincinnati. The Toronto restoration via Detroit instead of Port Huron is a natural and is a preview of future Chicago-Montreal HSR service (Michigan Central is a must).

It’s surprising to see Quad Cities service extended to Iowa City but completely unsurprising to see nothing between Iowa City and Omaha given Iowa’s sharp turn against passenger rail.

We’ll see with Madison and Green Bay. Eau Claire is a clear reaction to the West Central Wisconsin-Corridor Capital venture (i.e., it’s as scared with this one as it was with foreign companies showing interest in HSR 11 years ago and Brightline’s plans a few years ago).

Missouri is MIA, which may not be shocking since it has come out that the legislature may discontinue one of its two River Runner frequencies.

West

What is composed of the Front Range Rail is shown. Now, we will find out if Colorado jumps in. I will say though that a lack of extension to the Southwest Chief between Pueblo and La Junta and a Front Range frequency between Pueblo and Albuquerque are glaring omissions.

Montana’s efforts are not reflected while Tucson-Los Angeles is long overdue.

West Coast

The Vegas route is yet another service that is reactive because Brightline West is eating everybody’s lunch in this area as other private operators wanting to run service between the City of Angels and the City of Lights have largely vanished or languished. Another reason to not be impressed with Amtrak’s effort here is because “America’s Railroad” could have already had something on this route. That May 12 will mark 24 years since the Desert Wind left Las Vegas for the last time is preposterous.

The Coast Daylight is the only new route in Northern California probably because the San Joaquin JPA has given Amtrak management a major headache over the past 1 ½ years. The lack of improvements on the map may indicate that Amtrak has considered the possibility that the SJJPA will replace it with Herzog. Per a previous CAHSR business plan, the Fresno-Bakersfield portion is moot since it is scheduled to become operated by Germany’s DB by the end of the decade.

National

There are no efforts to add or restore long distance routes with the possible exception of the Heartland Flyer to Newton. The biggest problem is that there is no matrix nationally or regionally. The Southwest Chief should have split segments at Newton (to San Antonio) and La Junta (to Denver).

The North Coast Hiawatha, Desert Wind, Pioneer and Floridian should be restored without question, and the Texas Eagle should once again have a Houston section.

Other Thoughts

Newton-San Antonio is 683 miles and subject to PRIIA but extending a train to Laredo would make it 836 miles, putting it outside of the ’08 law. Amtrak Connects US is more reactive than proactive or at best it lists items that are already a part of states’ wish lists. Bruce Richardson and Jim Mathews both have excellent retorts to Politico’s clear NEC bias while Richardson also makes some good points about the plan.