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well prove what Amtrak critic M.E. Singer has said about PRIIA: That the 2008 law is the problem an may need to be repealed or reformed.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

The end of the Hoosier State

Amidst much scrutiny, the final Hoosier State left Chicago on June 30. In late April, the Indiana General Assembly slashed $3 million a year (total $6 million until 2021) set aside for Trains #850 and #851 following Governor Eric Holcomb's own exclusion of the train route in his budget.

Thus ends a six-year debacle that started when Indiana balked at PRIIA Section 209 requirements. I will analyze the big players' roles starting with...

...Amtrak

• Management reportedly told ex-CEO Joseph Boardman to not pursue CSX on making the Cardinal daily
• Responsible for Section 209 in the first place
• Delayed handing the Hoosier State over to Corridor Capital
• Offered free amenities when Corridor Capital was yanked and then rescinded them after five months
• Briefly provided Business Class after IPH pulled out

Indiana

• Was the only state to hold out of Section 209 payments
• Conducted a bidding process for the Hoosier State
• Passed on Herzog, who wanted to operate the train in favor of contracting out the route while keeping Amtrak crews
• Almost sabotaged the route before partial private service even began
• Made no effort to upgrade the route to daily
• State officials at best merely tolerated the route while it was the cities who exhibited far more interest in it
• Imposed onerous requirements that made it impossible for IPH to operate the Hoosier State at a profit

Corridor Capital

• Had the cars to operate the route
• Maybe not much the expertise
• Had to deal with a saboteur

Iowa Pacific

• Had the equipment and made good use of it on the Hoosier State
• Also made the best of its limited situation
• Ran out of money in 2017

D.C.

• The FRA attempted to classify states as rail carriers in early 2015
• Congress had the power to enforce PRIIA and FAST Act provisions encouraging private sector competition but did nothing

Railfans

• Most of them hated the idea of anyone other than Amtrak even touching this route from the beginning
• Rejoiced when Corridor Capital was booted and when IPH handed the Hoosier State back to Amtrak

The final verdicts
Thumbs down to Amtrak: If it wanted to, it could have made either the Cardinal or the Hoosier State daily. That it made such a fuss about keeping the train when others made bids on it says a lot about management and its culture. Yet another part of the country has been ceded to a startup bus company.

Thumbs down to the state of Indiana: Misstep after misstep led to the route's demise and state officials botching things. It is worth noting that all alternatives to Chicago-Indianapolis are either circuitous or they no longer exist.

Thumbs in the middle to Corridor Capital: It never got to prove itself. Hopefully that changes with the planned Eau Claire-Twin Cities route.

Thumbs up to Iowa Pacific: It was able make the best out of a bad situation. Unlike middle mangers in D.C. and Chicago, you can't deny the passion that Ed Ellis had for providing more than decent services on the Hoosier State.

Thumbs down to D.C. politicians: First, the executive branch under Obama cooked up a harebrained idea of making states rail carriers. If the intention was to prevent the states from selecting AIPRO members or any other non-Amtrak operator, then, mission accomplished. The attempted power play just set passenger rail back another 5-10 years when we couldn't afford to waste any more time.

Next, the legislative branch. Congress has no excuses because it has heard from enough experts so it needed to make sure that anyone bidding on existing Amtrak routes had a fair shake. Instead, state departments are more scared and even more risk averse all because our so-called leaders were willing to sit on their hands while a previously tolerated status quo could now lead to intercity rail crumbling from within.

Thumbs down to railfans: Their attitude over the nation's only non-daily corridor service vindicates everything I said  5 1/2 years ago.

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More Nippon-Sharyo Woes
Additional layoffs and a hard pressing deadline without any cars to show.

Take: How did the Midwestern states not have a viable backup plan?

Iowa Pacific to Cede the Hoosier State
In a really shocking turn of events, IPH will hand the Hoosier back over to Amtrak on March 1. There are rumors that IPH is facing extreme financial difficulties that may bankrupt it--and it canceled an overnight excursion in upstate New York--but I won't speculate on that until the source confirms or denies them. 

Take #1: All of this could have been avoided if INDOT had selected either Corridor Capital or Herzog. The former had available cars while the latter offered to operate the train, not just being a vendor while Amtrak crews still operated the train.

Take #2: This is really regrettable and I really hope that this doesn't dampen any other states seeking to use private operators.

Take #3: I see that some of the jackals are already gloating over the demise of Iowa Pacific as if it's supposed to be the example of keeping private operators out of the intercity market. You guys are just disgusting! Way to support increased passenger rail, guys!

Take #4: Indiana needs to mandate an increase of frequencies when it rebids this train. There is no excuse for Trains #850 and #851 to still be quadweekly with nothing on the horizon (no pun intended).

Winter Magazine Rants and Raves

Iron and Fire: Iowa Pacific's Ed Ellis (4th Quarter 2015)
The Passenger Train Journal article covered a slew of topics with Ellis but largely talked about the Hoosier State.The author of the PTJ article seemed to lament the fact that Iowa Pacific and Amtrak managed to just coexist rather than cooperate when it comes to the Hoosier State and the Cardinal. The testings and cancellations of the Hoosier State were just two things covered. The major thing that I paid attention to was how Amtrak handled itself on November 23. The westbound Cardinal lost more than 5 1/2 hours in Indianapolis due to a locomotive that ran out of fuel. Amtrak said that the loco wasn't properly fueled in D.C. when #51 switched from electric to diesel but rather than loaning an engine from IP, it decided to wait for a CSX engine. Since IP equipment was attached to #51, the Hoosier State for that evening out of Chicago was also affected While Ellis may not see IP as a rival to Amtrak, someone at Amtrak's headquarters in D.C. surely does--even if it isn't the outgoing CEO himself.

Towards the end of the article, the planned Rutland-Burlington service in Vermont was mentioned and Ellis told PTJ that he was keeping a close eye just in case that state puts the operation of the route up for bidding. It would be water cooler material if Vermont contracts trains service to not one but two operators.

Finally, Ellis is right on by saying that the focus on high speed rail "is totally misplaced" and that there should be hourly service.

Maine Eastern Finale (Railfan & Railroad, February)
As it turns out, the circumstances surrounding the demise of the Maine Eastern excursions are even worse than I feared. ME DOT spokesman Ted Talbot told the Portland Press Herald that the state had no interest in subsidizing any new passenger service. 

So rather than either extending the Downeaster to Rockland or the DOT dropping the ball, the state went out of its way to curtail summer service to an area not served by Amtrak. Paul LePage is even worse than Scott Walker because at least the latter wants to add frequencies between Chicago and Milwaukee. The Pine Tree State's Tea Party executive isn't even interested in expanding the Downeaster by either mileage or frequency. It may very well turn out to be a blown opportunity because if a Democrat succeeds LePage in three years,the new governor may only be focused on extending Downeaster service to Rockland and Augusta and pay no attention what I proposed almost four years ago.

Resolved: The Hoosier State

On Friday, the neverending Hoosier State saga finally came to a conclusion when it was announced that Iowa Pacific would take over Trains #850 and 851 effective August 2, and it has a two-year contract with the Indiana DOT that could be extended to 2021.

I could never get why Amtrak was trying so hard to keep a train that they had no concrete plan to improve, no did I get why the feds wanted to impose hurdle after hurdle for IP.

Now, it's up to other states to start thinking outside of the box and not rely so heavily on just one operator.

Some front office news from Indiana

Last Friday, the INDOT commissioner resigned. This was the guy that put the kibosh on Corridor Capital's efforts to be the vendor of the Hoosier State after the person who was responsible for awarding CorrCap the original contract fell ill.

I smell a possible scandal with Browning. In any case, his presence will not be missed since he was cool to the idea of even keeping the Hoosier around.

Is the end really near for the Hoosier State?

I'm still trying to rack my head over yesterday's jaw-breaking announcement that the Hoosier State will be discontinued after April 1. At first glance, the story seems straightforward, but upon another review, it becomes clearer that a cancellation isn't the issue but rather, an unnecessary power play from Washington.

I will dissect how the FRA's classification of states as rail carriers impacts the following organizations:

Indiana
While the state has badly botched the contract of the Hoosier State--see the Corridor Capital situation--I hesitate to blame the INDOT on this one. How in the world can Indiana be labeled as a rail carrier when the 196-mile stretch of the Hoosier is in the hands of multiple railroads with crappy tracks along the way?

Iowa Pacific
A quote from IP's Ed Ellis on Train Orders:

INDOT is working very hard to preserve this service, and I can assure you a lot of lawyer time has been spent trying to get FRA to back down from this. 
And there is no FRA guideline. There was no "Notice of Proposed Rulemaking." There was no comment period. There was no record of decision on the question of whether FRA can require a state to be a railroad. 

It's a shame that yet another contractor is getting the shaft. Just when a route is about to be covered by a vendor who really wants to improve the service, the rug is pulled from under them by the feds.

Amtrak
There's this gem from the Amtrak head honcho:

Daily Amtrak service to Indianapolis does not have to end in April. Amtrak has offered to continue to operate the train on a month-to-month basis.
Amtrak is ready, willing and able to continue to provide safe and reliable service using one of the proven models we’ve used in other states.
We have shown how the quality of the passenger experience can be improved by demonstrating modern Wi-Fi and business class seating. We have the expertise in working with the host railroads and have repeatedly offered to be the state’s and the communities’ partner in advancing plans to improve the travel time and the reliability of the service. 

He's really acting like the superhero here when in reality, his company has been desperate since June. Hello, that free stuff was done in an effort to keep the Hoosier State from going to Corridor Capital--and it worked. It looks like Amtrak is trying to preserve the Hoosier State status quo rather than improving the route, and it can't stand the idea of Trains #850 & #851 being Amtrak trains in name only.

FRA
The agency's blindsiding of Indiana was even more proof of what I said over three years ago: the FRA is the #1 barrier to innovation (want more examples? Then, go here). So, to tell me that the same agency that couldn't be bothered to enforce the Pilot Program requirement of PRIIA (aka Section 214) for other operators to operate an existing Amtrak route is now taking it upon itself enforce new regulations on any state that wants to replace Amtrak!

This looks like the folks in D.C. are determined to preserve the Amtrak monopoly because the real target is not Indiana, the real targets are Washington state and Oregon because there's a better chance that those two states could dump Amtrak in favor of another operator. If that happens, then California will look at it and wonder if that extra $19 million to "America's Railroad" was really worth it when it could have gone with an independent operator almost a year and a half ago. Since most people see the Golden State as the trendsetter, the dominoes would start falling for Amtrak if two of the three corridors--likely the Capitols and San Joaquins since the Surfliner Cars are primarily Amtrak-owned--were to go to other passenger operators.

There truly is something rotten in the state of Denmark when the states are not allowed to freely select other operators in an effort to improve their services. As a matter of fact, this overbearing by the Federal Railroad Administration is just the latest in recent memory. I have a list of their other idiotic actions here. And if what's happening to Indiana spreads to other states, then, it needs to be smacked down by Congress and the Supreme Court.

Yet another Hoosier State extension for Amtrak

The only news out of Indiana is that the status quo will hold form for another two months:

Amtrak will continue to operate the Hoosier State train between Indianapolis and Chicago under an Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) contract extension through April 1, 2015. A previous extension expires on Jan. 31.

Remember all that free stuff? Amtrak has discontinued it.

Hoosier State Trains 850 and 851: AmtrakConnect Wi-Fi and Other Services Discontinued
Effective February 1, 2015
The AmtrakConnect® Wi-Fi, Business class seating and light refreshments will be discontinued on the Hoosier State, as scheduled, on February 1, 2015.
In October 2014, Amtrak announced its demonstration of Wi-Fi capabilities and other services aboard the Hoosier State through January 31, 2015. The State of Indiana has chosen not to fund the continuation of these services.

Funny for Amtrak to pin the blame on Indiana when it only implemented Business Class, Wi-Fi, and snacks when it looked like a done deal that it was going to lose most functions of the service. Now, that Corridor Capital has been kicked to the curb, it has acted like a true monopoly.

Yet another twist in the Hoosier State saga

As it now turns out, that former "executive" of Corridor Capital had no connections to the company and was a saboteur. Indiana has a lot of eggs on its face for its role in sabotaging CorrCap's efforts to operate the Hoosier State. As far as Amtrak goes, this is more evidence that it is trying to pull a Herzog with the Hoosier State.

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The news just gets weirder and weirder out of Indiana

Earlier this month, the INDOT canceled its contract with Corridor Capital without any explanation. The second thing that happened was that Corridor Capital responded to the termination by more or less making Indiana look incompetent.Then, INDOT talked to runner up Iowa Pacific about taking over the Hoosier State. Now, a former executive of Corridor Capital says that the contractor was unprepared and didn't receive any support from its investors.

Take: At this point, I just don't know what to think. The fact that Indiana doesn't want added amenities is beyond puzzling. Perhaps, this wouldn't have happened if Iowa Pacific been awarded the contract from the beginning. This should be a lesson for Corridor Capital to be better prepared next time.

Mexican HSR deal is canceled 

While the rail community was caught up over the Hoosier State debacle and the midterm elections, the Mexican government canceled a high speed rail contract with a Chinese consortium when it was discovered that the person leading the group gave the Mexican president a mansion.

Take: Corruption knows no boundaries. Chalk this one as a blown opportunity for reviving passenger rail in Mexico.

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Amtrak's last-ditch effort to keep the Hoosier State

Just when it was safe and clear to assume that Amtrak would cede the Hoosier State, it added wi-fi, Business Class, and food and beverage service in a desperate attempt to keep the route.

Take #1: If INDOT and the cities along the route have any sense, then, they will realize this move as just that--desperate. Where was this effort beforehand? 

Take #2: I seriously thought that Amtrak and its supporters were going to let the Hoosier go simply due to the fact that it's the only PRIIA Section 209 route that runs less than daily. Boy was I wrong!

Take #3: Predictably, the peanut gallery on various message boards (1 2 3 4 5 6) is showing their true colors. It wasn't enough that they expressed righteous indignation 2-3 months ago when Corridor Capital was awarded the vendor contract. Now, they are belittling INDOT and CorrCap as a bunch of amateurs. However, CorrCap's James Coston fired back by saying that Amtrak delayed the handover of the Hoosier State and broke off negotiations with his company after INDOT selected CorrCap as the vendor. Speaking of which, that brings me to... 

Take #4: The delaying tactics by Amtrak are clearly being done to create doubt among the cities and towns along the 196-mile-route. That way, Amtrak can actually keep the route come wintertime. These tactics are nothing new. In 2003, Missouri handed one of its St. Louis-Kansas City frequencies over to Herzog during a budget shortfall. Amtrak blackballed Herzog by threatening to keep it out of the stations of each endpoint. The result? No expansion 11 1/2 years after MO went crawling back to Amtrak. In 2010, the national carrier threatened to strip the seniority status of anyone who remained with Virginia Railway Express after Keolis beat it in bidding. The result? VRE is happier with the French operator. The following year, a similar threat was made to Caltrain employees when "America's Railroad" lost that contract to a Herzog subsidiary. The result? The threat also failed on the West Coast and there are no problems between Caltrain and the new operator.

Take #5: At least Corridor Capital has a plan for the Hoosier Corridor. Where is Amtrak's plan? Will it provide more marketable times? Will it provide additional frequencies?

Take #6: The two states in charge of the Cascades have to be watching this very closely--as should other states wishing to expand...because...

Take #7: If Indiana follows Missouri's lead but wants more roundtrips, it will be subject to another one of Amtrak's controversial feasibility studies where the costs will be high and revenues low. As a matter of fact, any state that doesn't already have future plans in place will. The end result? Stifled expansion efforts.

Wolverine State station news

New stations in Dearborn and Troy are about to open.

Take #1: The multimodal Dearborn station will actually be a merger of two stations--an Amshack that serves as the main station and a special stop only intended for large groups near the Henry Ford Museum.

Take #2: Troy is a lesson in perseverance. First, neighboring Birmingham pulled out of the multimodal station project in early 2011. Second, Troy elected a Tea Party mayor who then proceeded to follow the Walker-Kasich-Scott playbook and nix the project at the end of 2011 (fortunately, the citizens had the sense to recall her in 2012 and revive the project). Most recently, there was a dispute between the city and the developer over who owned the land around the station after it was completed last November.

Japanese operator expresses interest in CAHSR route

A consortium including the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) is going really hard after the California project.

Take: A company like JR East has a lot to teach Californians about dealing with major adversities like earthquakes. Now, if the CAHSR Authority would just assign an operator for the route...

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Sugarcane train shutting down

In the 50th state, there will be two tourist railroads instead of three come next Friday.

Take: For a state that has very little trackage, this is a blow for anyone who wants to ride the rails on existing infrastructure.

Indy yanks Hoosier State funding

May pull out has now turned to has pulled out.

Take: I have no idea if this was Indianapolis objecting to the Hoosier State potentially becoming an Amtrak train in name only, the capital city not wanting to pay the large share of route's funding, or something else, but this definitely serves as a potential red flag for anyone who advocates municipal funding in the Section 209 Era of state-funded train service.

Caltrain will be electrified in five years

Amid all the bad news, a bit of good.

Take: This will be a boon for the region as a whole.

The Hoosier State bidding is complete

Corridor Capital narrowly beat out Iowa Pacific to be the new contractor of the Hoosier State. Contractor, not operator! That is important because Amtrak will continue to run the train so that's a bit of a bummer for any of us who want to see multiple operators running passenger service.

The tentative plan is for the Hoosier State to be moved to another timeslot. If that happens, then we will be talking about at least one additional frequency that will become multiple--adding to an already untenable situation in Chicago. As Corridor Capital's James Coston once said: "Chicago Union Station is beyond obsolete. It has crowd-control and user-friendliness problems that are on the brink of becoming public-safety and public-health problems." This is another reason why I believe that Indiana only got its feet wet as opposed to taking the full plunge that could still happen out west with the Cascades. I have advocated that major cities like Chicago use their other major train stations for more than just commuter service for several years because as more states and companies express interest in providing additional service, primary stations that are currently home to Amtrak will become overcrowded and competitors will need to find other places to serve their passengers.

As to where this will leave Amtrak, it will have some extra Horizon Cars left over. With Indiana using equipment from Railplan International, it should be easier for neighboring Illinois to use the Horizons for the revived Black Hawk route next year. Assuming that the Hoosier State no longer runs on the same timeslot as the Cardinal, Amtrak would have to either:

1. operate #50 an hour earlier out of Chicago so it can arrive into Indianapolis at 22:00. This would allow the operator enough time to cut off the excess cars (#51 is currently in Indy from 4:57 to 6:00) and recover a bit before the eastbound train continues on its current schedule east of Indianapolis
2. continue to run trains on #850 and #851's current times. The only difference is that the two trains would be taken out of the reservations system as these would now be nonstop between the two cities 
3. operate #50 an hour later at all stops

Tackling the Headlines 63

Amtrak, companies submit proposals on Hoosier State
Take #1: Whether anyone likes it or not, this is the wave of the future and supporters of the status quo should just get used to it.

Take #2: The ball is now in Indiana's court. Its DOT is the one that wanted to move away from automatically handing things over to Amtrak so now it has to give the mandate to the winner that the Chicago-Indianapolis route be no worse than daily.

Province to study possible high-speed rail line from London to Toronto

Take: I don't see much political will there.

X Train Holdings Reaches Agreement to Operate Santa Fe Southern Railroad Excursion Services

Take: It's the only good thing that X Train has done.

NM railroads to focus on freight, not passengers, says new plan

Take: I apologize that The Land of Enchantment doesn't have any imaginative leaders.

Tackling the Headlines 62

East-west Amtrak corridor promoted in Illinois
Take: This is looking like a Plan B since Iowa is totally uncooperative with extending the route across its state. Maybe, when Terry Branstad is sent to the retirement home, the Iowa DOT can return to Earth and provide the funds to produce a route that is not necessarily operated by Amtrak and doesn't necessarily stop at Union Station in Chicago.

Black Hawk update
Take: So, is Canadian National trying to replace Union Pacific as the most passenger hostile Class I railroad? Anyway, it's better to get part of a route working than to end up with with a situation like Ohio.

Indiana puts the Hoosier State up for bid...
Take #1: So, it begins. If Amtrak loses this route, then, this will be a ripple effect across the nation as other states look more closely at their budgets, with the goal of saving money by selecting the operator who will provide them the most service for the smallest amount.

Take #2: My official take and what it could mean for Amtrak can be found here.

Take #3: Assuming that all of the hurdles with the tracks and all six hosts are overcome, the new operator could extend one frequency to Cincinnati with a second one to follow shortly thereafter and another to Louisville for a total of four Chicago-Indianapolis frequencies plus the Cardinal.

Take #4: The only thing I don't like is the extremely short timespan that other companies have to submit bids. However, if a competent operator steps up, then the April 29 deadline will be moot.

...and Oregon and Washington State could be next
Take: If this happens, then Amtrak management should very, very worried because the Cascades' southern neighbor could follow.

Talgo shifts its focus where?
Take: Even Michigan is interested in making Wisconsin look foolish. Enjoy those leftover Horizon Cars, Scott Walker.

Chief fight moves to Congress 
Take: Now is the time for the innovators and D.C. pols to step up and provide a real workable solution.

Vermont House OKs Ethan Allen rail extension
Take: This move is the right one. Rather than rerouting an existing train, Vermonters will get an extra option to travel to New York City.

The Hoosier State Debate: Who's Right?

Recently, I stumbled unto a debate over the future of the Hoosier State in regards to the PRIIA Section 209 provision that forces states to pick up the tab for routes that are less than 750 miles long. The Lafayette Journal-Courier column is calling for a more proactive role while the NARP Blog response says that playing defense is a better ploy.

Journal-Courier

If Lafayette has to sit through one more wistful trip down memory lane about passenger rail, dripping with images of porters, whistle-stops and relatives waving farewell at the station with their handkerchiefs, we’re all going to lose it.

Mr. Bangert's "memory lane" reference makes passenger sound like an outdated mode of travel when it has, in fact, made a bit of a comeback.

Don’t pound the lectern demanding some dusty right to passenger rail. Get in there and pound the table for better service. His upshot: Simply subsidize the Hoosier State in its current condition, and it will fail; improve the Hoosier State, and people will ride.

State Senator Hershman is right on with his remarks that just retaining the Hoosier State in its current condition is a recipe for failure. After all, Train #850 has an unmarketable time for Purdue University students.

Troy Woodruff, INDOT chief of state...blistered the federal mandate passed in 2008, calling Amtrak’s business model a loser and repeatedly indicated his unwillingness to touch an annual payment of $80 for every one of the 36,669 passengers who rode the Hoosier State during the most recent fiscal year.

IN DOT should have done its homework on the PRIIA provision because if it had, then, it would have consulted another operator to see how much cheaper that company could operate the Hoosier State.

But he did allow that INDOT would be willing to pay a slice, if local governments and others were willing to chip in, too. While INDOT and Amtrak stared each other down to see which would blink first, a handful of mayors of cities along the Hoosier State route wanted to know two things:
• If you’re asking us to contribute, how much?
• And if we contribute, what’s being done to make service better? In other words: What are we getting for our money?

Although I'm neutral on the idea of municipalities funding corridor routes, this could be a future funding mechanism.

He also said increasing the number of trains on the Hoosier State line is open for discussion, too.

When it comes to Magliari's statement on possibly adding frequencies on the route, this is such a no-brainer given this schedule from 1994.

Available Wi-Fi on the trains. Some sort of food service, even if that meant a grab-and-go setup. Partnering with a shuttle service in Chicago for seamless transfers to airports. (“Anecdotally, what we’re seeing are a lot of Purdue students using the train out of Lafayette, many presumably to fly out of Chicago,” Hershman said. “Wouldn’t you pay for an easier way to O’Hare from Union Station?”)

In addition to Hershman's suggestions, All Aboard Ohio was unto something with its recommendations in adding more Hoosier State trains and extending them to Cincinnati. The only quibble is that I would change two of the trains to a single Louisville roundtrip with the possibility of a further extension to Nashville. This move would help establish a Chicago-Louisville service early on as the MWHSR project progresses.

NARP Blog

 [I]t’s the simple fact that if the Hoosier State disappears, it becomes ten times more difficult to get better service on this important part of the Chicago Hub passenger train network.

The mantra of "once it's gone, it's difficult to get it back" has been demonstrated in the Gulf Coast with the eastern link of the Sunset Limited and in the inland West with the Pioneer and North Coast Hiawatha.

However, as train advocates have learned the hard way time and again, once you lose a passenger train service, there are many expensive hurdles to clear before it can be restored. As imperfect as it is, the existing Hoosier State serves as a necessary baseline off of which to build a quicker, more convenient and attractive train service.

This is squarely on Amtrak management for its botched handling of converting the Cardinal into a daily train.

That will continue to be the case even if the Hoosier State remains as-is, and even if it disappears, students will still use the tri-weekly Cardinal to get to and from Chicago. 

In the short term, it'd be in Amtrak's best interest to either make the Cardinal daily northwest of Indianapolis or move the Hoosier State to more favorable times for students.

All the improvements that the train’s riders and supporters seek will only come to pass if INDOT is willing to work with Amtrak as a partner, like the state DOT’s in neighboring Michigan and Illinois have done with great success.  Such a partnership can only be formed with maintaining the Hoosier State as its centerpiece. Once a partnership is established, INDOT will have the ability to do things like add food service and install WiFi on the trains.

Given the provisions in Section 209, the INDOT could still accomplish the things Kenton mentioned if it seeks a different operator.

Tackling the Headlines 38

FEC study: Green light to operate trains

Take: That was done in no time. Now, that's how you do a feasibility study. Congratulations, FEC, and I hope to take one of your trains in three years' time. As for the Miami-Cocoa overlap in which FEC (initial segment to Orlando) and Amtrak (Miami-Jacksonville service via Silver Service split) trains will operate, the Class II is planning to develop separate stations in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Orlando. As a result, travelers will be need to be careful to identify the stations along the line.

Feds give a grant to Housatonic for final study
If all goes well, the Berkshires will see train service between 2017 and 2020. Grand Central needs as much quality train service as possible. I also liked how the article mentions that the station at the route's northern terminus could be upgraded to handle more trains.

Take: After all of the backlash, the Class III perseveres.

Yet another feasibility study--this one from Indiana

Take: Given past talk about how anti-rail Hoosier State politicians are, this one just came out of left field. The interesting thing is that there is zero mention of Amtrak in the study. Upon further review, this should be of no surprise since Amtrak left the city in 1990.

Amtrak to redo its own feasibility study on Treasure Coast service
Cities are in various planning stages, funding from Tallahassee is an apparent issue, and Amtrak needs to update its numbers. The earliest launch date has now been pushed back to 2015-16.

Take: I am willing to bet with anybody that FEC will extend its All Aboard Florida service to Jacksonville before Amtrak is able to get a single train on the East Coast line. Funding issues could come up at the state, federal level, or both and Amtrak could have a new president in the next 3-5 years who could change course.

Amtrak-Trinity Railway Express conflict could force Texas to return stimulus money

Take: The liability issue rears its ugly head again. Texas didn't really get that much stimulus money in 2009 because its governor rejected it. My guess is that Amtrak is waiting for the TIGER II money dedicated to relieve Tower 55 congestion so it can have use new tracks on the UP line between Dallas and Fort Worth. Another problem is that Amtrak has $200 million in liability insurance while TRE is limited to $250,000.

Referendum to repeal CAHSR withdrawn, lawsuits may be new strategy by foes

Take: It's great news-potentially bad news. Once construction on the first segment begins, the lawsuits may become moot.

Southern Oregonians want passenger service to be restored

Take: Someone needs to urge the CORP to realize the potential to provide local residents alternative transportation.

A new station in Petersburg, VA?
The state is clearly doing the one-for-all-all-for-one routine here: Either both stations will be in Ettrick or everything will be moved to downtown Petersburg.

Take: Sigh, I guess that's the nature of working with an operator that isn't willing to place more than one station in a metropolitan area on a consistent basis. I have no objections about the DRPT building a separate high speed rail station right next to the existing Amtrak station, but it's the mentality that is irking me.

Instead of quotes like these

[A]reas with populations comparable to the Tri-Cities region "typically have only one train station. Richmond is a rarity because it has Main Street and Staples Mill (stations), even though they don't offer the same level of service at both locations.

the state should be more creative and use a downtown Petersburg station as a facility for special passengers who value their time. Another use for a downtown station could provide passengers who will travel on east-west services in the future easy access.