Florida by Amtrak

In the Fourth Quarter 2019 issue of Passenger Train Journal, Kevin McKinney took a look at the inverse relationship between Amtrak's presence in Florida and the state's population over the past half century. Going even further, the Sunshine State's rapid growth since the dawn of the 20th century should make one weep over how whittled down passenger service has become.

Even when the Seaboard Coast Line reluctantly handed its trains over to Amtrak, the combined Atlantic Coast Line and Seaboard Air Line entity had more than enough options for travelers. McKinney did a good job in describing the planning of which routes to incorporate into Amtrak. The more I think about it, the more likely that my alternative scenario would have happened had SCL management not been so concerned about ordering new equipment.

Cross-Florida service is something that the FDOT should be responsible for and reminds me of the free ride certain Midwest and Northeastern states were getting prior to PRIIA. Why no one in Congress has moved to rescind ex-congressman Mica's food service provision baffles me (maybe they'll address it in the next rail re-authorization bill but I doubt it).

Advertising has been absent outside the Northeast Corridor for years

The lack of advertising and the failure to recognize winter peak season tells me that Amtrak is has long blown off the state and that it merely tolerates what it already has. The reduced consists speak for themselves

Florida's population has tripled since Amtrak was formed while the the national operator has not only decreased its footprint but is now being lapped by Virgin's Brightline, which has 32 trains even though it's still a glorified commuter route until the Orlando Airport extension is completed. Other metro areas in the state have taken a look at Sunrail and Tri-Rail and are exploring their own commuter systems, and it's up to the folks in Tallahassee to get it together. If the executive and legislative branches do in fact patch everything together by using the Sunrail model and cut Amtrak out of the picture, it may be game over for Amtrak's share.

To be in decline in a booming market is certainly not an impressive feat. To actually be making service less appealing instead of finding ways to improve and grow the business suggests it is time to officially redefine the mission of what a national rail passenger carrier should be, finance it properly, and find management--or a new organization--capable of running a high-quality, growth-oriented business.

Indeed.Amtrak turns 50 next spring and there should be some very hard questions over what a national rail carrier should look like (hint: new operators with new approaches to grow the market). Florida is untapped potential and it's being taken advantage of by Brightline, not Amtrak.

New Amtrak CEO

Richard Anderson is on his way out and his replacement has been named. The only appropriate response to William Flynn succeeding the guy derisively referred to by railfans as "Delta Dick" and "Propellerhead" is A BIG YAWN. 

Charles Sanders was spot on when he hinted that Anderson's personality was his likely demise.

It will be up to Congress to enforce guidelines that force Amtrak to compete with others for intercity routes because its current regime only cares about shaking down states for money while wasting money on vanity projects like new Acela cars.

As the Metrolink Turns

Amtrak recently told its people in the Los Angeles area that it would be losing the Metrolink contract for the second time. This would mean that the national operator's slump against private entities will stretch into a third decade with only a couple of victories--and even those have qualifiers. 

First, when Amtrak won back the Metrolink contract in the summer of '09, it was no-bid (i.e. the commuter agency only talked to the national operator after the wake of the Chatsworth disaster). Second, when MARC put its Penn Line up for bid, the outcome was never in doubt since that route was on the southernmost end of the NEC.

Revolting Against Amtrak

Two months ago, Stacey Mortenson of the San Joaquin JPA spilled the beans to Congress on how Amtrak overcharges state-supported routes--namely, her San Joaquin service. I'm pretty sure that Herzog would do a much better job operating the San Joaquins than Amtrak. Also, the SJ JPA plans on rerouting the trains to serve multiple parts of Sacramento. I really hope that Mortenson can pull off the transfer and even if this just a negotiating ploy, it would further show Amtrak's Northeastern-centric managment and board that California's JPAs are not fooling around--after all, the state's three JPAs were the only agencies that refused to go along with Amtrak Corporate's boneheaded moves to eliminate discounts in 2018.

Last month, a rail advocate told a Pennsylvania House committee that the commonwealth could do a better and cheaper job operating intercity rail than Amtrak. Whatever happens in Harrisburg, it's mandatory that there is at the very least a restoration of a second frequency between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh.

Despite Richard Anderson's bluster, this is the clearest sign that Amtrak's "valued state partners" are getting fed up with an agency that only cares about the Northeast Corridor and is only interested in shaking down the states for money while refusing to expand or provide new equipment.

That said, the states should have rebelled against Amtrak during the Section 209 fight seven years ago. California needed to be the guinea pig for private operators getting into corridor service, not Indiana. A state with three distinct corridors would have made it much more appealing to other state DOTs to ditch Amtrak instead of the only state to have a less than daily corridor service.

The dustup with the San Joaquins and Pennsylvania may very well prove what Amtrak critic M.E. Singer has said about PRIIA: That the 2008 law is the problem an may need to be repealed or reformed.

Outside of the box thinking is needed now more than ever because a continued reliance on Amtrak instead of turning to AIPRO members or Virgin Trains will squash any hopes of a passenger rail renaissance. States with limited or no corridor service need to pay attention to what's happening on both coasts so they can know what to avoid if they want to expand their routes.

A wasted decade

Around this time a decade ago, the passenger rail community was gearing up for President Obama's announcement of high speed rail funding and it looked like a renaissance was upon us. Rather than the sky being the limit, here's what actually happened:

• The infamous Tea Party backlash that resulted in Wisconsin (Hiawatha extension to Madison), Ohio (3C Route) and Florida (Express HSR Tampa-Orlando-Miami route) returning their stimulus money to the feds
• A trade group composed of Amtrak's commuter competitors being formed but ignored by the press and blacked out among most rail activists
• A failed attempt by Senators Dick Durbin and Harry Reid to drive private operators out of the commuter business
• A successful power play by Joe Boardman, the NEC congressional slate and NARP that kept the Northeast Corridor from being rehabbed based on a clever yet deceitful PR campaign
• The Hoosier State being eliminated
• The loss of the Silver Star diner
• No advocacy for the long distance routes from the people who matter the most
• Congress passing another rail reform bill but failing to enforce competition provisions
• Amtrak stripping ticketing and checked baggage from numerous stations throughout the country
• An ex-airline executive currently runs Amtrak and has alienated almost everyone with his moves

The status quo has prevailed and there has been little progress in the 10 years since. The vast majority of rail advocates have exposed themselves as little more than a bunch of Amtrak shills. As far as NARP, its name change is pretty much an indication that it is taking a step backward.

Colorado news

State House Speaker opposes Front Range Rail

If Becker is betting the future of transportation on autonomous vehicles, she is deluding herself. Furthermore, if anyone in the Colorado legislature is looking to Anderson et al to come to the rescue, then, they need to look at how the Boardman Administration dragged out the Southwest Chief issue.

Inside the box thinking is going to render intercity rail in Colorado stillborn.

A private operator wants to complete RTD's B Line

Given the route's issues, it wouldn't hurt at all to let Rocky Mountain Rail try it out.

All you need to know about Amtrak's limited vision