Comments on: Amtrak sucks!

By: FrankyFourFingers

FrankyFourFingers — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 01:52:25 +0000

Bailing out banks can make some sense given the right angle, even though that pill is still hard to swallow. But not the US car industry. The money spent to bail out GM & Co. and their lousy unions and dumb execs should be sent straight to Amtrak, modernize rail beds, put in concrete x-ties and wring some control out of CSX and other freight operators, or at least work out some reasonable solution. Don’t let Quebec be the first to use high speed rail in North America. We might fight off French cars imports, but lets admit they’re way ahead in term of rail tech and listen to what they can do to help us modernize our rail system. Or the Japanese, or the Germans. The need for dependable, fast and comfortable rail travel is there. How much fun is flying these days? Travelers still ride Amtrak despite its miserably unreliable schedule: there’s no other choice. Flush GM and the union/exec wipes and get us a real rail system now.

By: lowpost50

lowpost50 — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 13:41:34 +0000

interesting, as many complaints that I read here about Amtrak, most of the trains are sold out so there must be something that people like about it.
now i agree about trains being delayed and all but if they changed the schedule to include the delay and you get to your destnation say 5 minutes early you would think service is great

By: Gary Stevens

Gary Stevens — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 22:10:31 +0000

I just read “The Elephant in the Bedroom” The authors make the case that private transportation has many hidden subsidies. Only when the total expense for private transportation is paid by the private driver will people turn to more efficient and possibly better transportation.

By: BobW

BobW — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 21:29:39 +0000

Fred, Fred, Fred!
You are too, too angry about things of which you know so very little.
SocSec saved the aged in US.
Conservatives have kneecapped government works at every turn.
Amtrak isn’t perfect, but it works as well if not better than the heavily subsidized airline industry.
Have a nice day.
Hope you feel better real soon.

By: Fred

Fred — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 20:26:22 +0000

Gary Stevens remark is an example of what we heard in the 80′s. Just can’t bring themselves to shoot the lame horse in the head and put it us out of its misery! Its a no brainer! Amtrak ain’t working, ain’t every going to work, ain’t ain’t and ain’t. But the libs just can’t let go. Just like EVERY other government program….its absolutely indespensible. Because if we dispense with on useless program….we’ll have to dispense with them all. And thus would unravel the vast liberal kingdom at which idiocy sits on the throne. Said throne is a gold plated turlet which has direct gravitation access to all the tax payers heads.

By: Stacie

Stacie — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:08:54 +0000

India is the only country that is able to turn a profit on its railways, mostly through: 1) effectively adding on freight services 2) highly differentiating service classes and pricing accordingly.

They say the railway minister, Lalu, is going to make a run for Prime Minister.

By: Gary Stevens

Gary Stevens — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:12:52 +0000

Fred, I agree that Amtrak is subsidized. It was a compromise piece of legislation that had weaknesses that only gov’t subsidies could make work. But how high a subsidy does Amtrak get compared to highway and airline subsidies? I would like to have privately run passenger rail, but until people realize how expensive other forms of transportation are then I don’t see that happening.

By: Fred

Fred — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 23:29:04 +0000

You’re too young to remember but Reagan tried to kill Amtrak in the 80′s. USA rail unions have a history of driving the rail operators out of biz. Rails are only now surging with the higher fuel costs and the prolonged attrition the rail companies pursued as a strategy. Fact is Amtrak is a highly subsidized government boondoggle that should be killed off. But the socialists just won’t let it happen. I was around in the 80′s and you should have seen the viceral reaction of the lib-lefties. They acted like you wanted to cut off their left testicle. It was actually IMPORTANT to them. Really how do you get this square??? To them Amtrak appeared to be a symbol of that great communist land in the sky where we should all be compelled to live whether we like it or not. ( And we should be sent to re-education camp if we do not because we’re all a bunch of bitter small townies clinging to our Gloks, or SW-40 calibers for you that like more fashionable accoutrements ) ( I used accoutrement Fabby… )

By: Fabrice Grinda

Fabrice Grinda — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 02:52:35 +0000

You are right! That was worse (Amtrak was sold out last time and I had to take them).

By: Stacie

Stacie — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:42:49 +0000

At least it wasn’t the Fung Wah.