Railway Track & Structures 12/07

CHICAGO PERSPECTIVE Amtrak riding high hat is an Amtrak? It’s a strange hybrid, grossly underfunded by the government, mostly an unwanted stepchild on the Class 1 railroads, the source of an uncountable number of hours of discussion and debate among railfans, the “unprofitable” entity that swills tax dollars according to conservatives and the organization that tries very hard in very difficult circumstances to operate and maintain a viable intercity rail passenger service in the United States. There are enough Amtrak critics out there to tabulate the real and imagined sins of Amtrak to fill volumes. I don’t want to compete with the critics, although even I could rant and rave about rail passenger service in general and Amtrak in particular. Instead, I’d like to take a look at the positives of Amtrak right now and its potential for growth in the dramatically changing transportation environment of the 21st Century. Recent news from the National Railroad Passenger Corporation has been fairly good. According to a press release, Amtrak ridership in Fiscal Year 2007 increased to 25,847,531, marking the fifth straight year of gains and setting a record for the most passengers using Amtrak trains since the National Railroad Passenger Corporation started operations in May 1971. This total, for the period October 1, 2006-September 30, 2007, topped the 24,306,965 for the previous 12 months and is greater than the passenger count of 25.03 million reached in 2004, before Amtrak transitioned some services to a commuter rail operator. Total ticket revenue for the fiscal year, $1.5 billion, was an 11-percent increase over the $1.37 billion in FY06. If other income from contract services is included, the railroad’s total revenue was $2.2 billion for the fiscal year. “Highway and airway congestion, volatile fuel prices, increasing environmental awareness and a need for transportation links between growing communities are some of the factors that make W intercity passenger rail extremely relevant in today’s world,” said Alex Kummant, president and ceo of Amtrak. “Combined with the efforts of the hardworking men and women of Amtrak, who make our service work, our investment in the Northeast Corridor is paying dividends with improved on-time performance and that draws in more ridership and revenue. “Our record setting ridership and ticket revenue in FY07 indicate the stage is set for Amtrak to take on a role as not only a contributor to the nation’s transportation network, but as a leader among modes,” he added. Even conservatives can’t complain about that, although I still hear and read their comments based on old information. When they talk about halfempty trains they’re flat-out wrong and when they dredge up percentages of total rides in this country, they’re just laying a smoke screen. Every day I read an editorial or opinion piece supporting Amtrak and calling for an increase in rail passenger service. And these articles are being written by both Red and Blue State folks. Our leaders in Congress recently expressed support by voting in a multiyear funding package for Amtrak, something that, although desperately needed, hasn’t been seen in many years. It doesn’t solve all of Amtrak’s problems, but it certainly is a step in the right direction. The problems in running passenger service on freight railroads are all too real, but they certainly are not without solutions. I’m sure many, if not most, of you have read reports in our sister publication, Railway Age, arising from conferences on this very topic. It will be long after I pull the pin, but I see rail passenger service mounting a resurgence incredible to those of us in the industry today. Oil prices are nearing $100 a barrel. With India and China increasing oil demand, prices can only go up. We have to have relief, and that relief, in my opinion, can only come from rail passenger service. So what is an Amtrak? Quite possibly, the vehicle that will carry us to a new horizon of prosperity in America. George S. Sokulski Associate Publisher 52 Railway Track & Structures December 2007 www.rands.com http://www.rands.com

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Railway Track & Structures - December 2007 Contents On Track Industry Today Supplier News AREMA News NRC News TTCI R&D Hand-Held Tools Provide the Power to Get Big Jobs Done AREMA C&S Update Striving to Solve the Riddle of Wheel Climb RTA Stages Warm Gathering in Sunny Florida in October Products and Literature People Calendar Website Directory Advertisers Index Sales Representatives Professional Directory Classified Advertising Chicago Perspective

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