Your points on the rails already being crowded with freight traffic are dead-on, especially in the west where there are no alternative routes for freight traffic. Amtrak has little or no priority over the freight trains, which routinely leads to passenger trains running late (see the story on the Orlando to L.A. train that was 72 hours late). The Ports of Seattle and Oakland will continue to increase their containerized traffic that jumps right on a train to go to points east of the Rockies, furthering tying up the limited rail lines.

The biggest problem with the national Amtrak debate is that, despite the near doubling of their budget, it doesn’t mean they should restore service to areas that cannot support it. This only leads to further co-opting by local elected officials who are train-giddy, and less effectiveness between large urban areas that can really support it. Amtrak should focus resources on sub-regional service (California, Midwest, Texas, Florida, Northeast) to major population centers that can reduce the burden on airports. The perfect example is the Seattle-Portland corridor cited in previous articles.

Perhaps some type of service from SLC to Portland or Seattle, through Boise, would have some merit, but a long-haul trip from Chicago or Denver through the northwest is another colossal waste of money.

Sorry, Boise-Meridian-Nampa-Caldwell, you don’t have enough of a population base to make the service work financially, unless the cities are willing to pay millions to subsidize the service.

I live right by the Depot and I would use Amtrak if it comes back. There may be more people who would use it overall than you think.

I think bringing back Amtrack at taxpayer’s expense is a silly idea. If it were worthwhile, private business would of stepped in.

Rail service can be a highly effective and fast for both freight and people. Gone are the days of slow freight (2-3 weeks crosscountry). A few private companies have started operating their own trains with their own distribution facilities. Railex USA is one that specializes in fruits, vegetables, and nursery stock from the Northwest and California. Their 50 car trains make it to the Eastcoast distribution facility in 5 days.

My grandparents used to come to Boise from Oklahoma to visit back in the fifties. Trains were everywhere. Planes are a lot faster but if I want to see my family in Kentucky I have to fly to Nashville and have no way to get from Nashville to SW Kentucky. I have no interest in driving to Kentucky and it would be an exhausting trip.

If trains were available I would go twice a year. I would also love to go to Sun Valley by train, using their shuttle bus from Shoshone.

On trains you can walk around, read, eat when you want, take naps. I used to love to fly but the airlines have made that mode of travel a living nightmare, as well as an excellent place to pick up germs.

I’m sorry, Guardian, to disagree, but I think more people would enjoy train travel than you think, particularly between Portland and Salt Lake City connecting through Boise.

Dave – you might want to look at some of the actual planning that has gone on regarding this issue.

Newsweek just did a piece talking about a phased approach for creating a Trans-American passenger network. And there is already a set of recommendations out there for rail service throughout America. And there is already a plan for your “AMBUS” solution as well. You might take a look:

http://www.america2050.org/2009/04/why-we-need-a-trans-american-network.html

Rail travel was not efficient when it was operational in the 1950’s. When I was a small child we used to travel from Evansville, Indiana to St. Louis to visit my aunt. A distance of around 180 miles took an entire day. Most of the time was spent in sidings waiting for other trains to pass.

I wonder if those in favor of trains have actually traveled by train or is their reality in their minds.

Dedicated passenger rail systems work really well in highly populated cities like Tokyo, Japan. Conectivity to busses and cabs is excellent and the system was a snap for a tourists to figure out. It was also very cheap realtive to other modes of transportation.

Boise is a long way from having the need or ridership to support trains as a form of mass transit.

Once took Amtrak from Boise to D.C. (shortly before they killed it).
Loved it, except that the train was so packed that we could get a sleeper for only one of the nights, and had to hunt for seats — so don’t tell me people won’t use it.
Yeah, it takes a subsidy — so do airlines. Oh, and Butch wants a few million bucks for more roads, which are built totally with taxes.
As for delays, we had a couple, but the train just sat there for half an hour or so, didn’t fall out of the sky. And we could walk around, eat, drink, whatever, both while it was stopped and while it was rolling.
I enjoyed that freedom much more than being crammed into a metal tube and hurled through the sky.
Also enjoyed seeing the country rather than just clouds below.
Highways are crowded, airlines are going broke, trains cost money and are slower than planes (but don’t make you go from Boise to NYC by way of Phoenix, San Diego, Houston …
Seems to me that until we can just ask Scotty to beam us wherever we want to go, we should use all three methods of transportation — air, rail, road.

It’s great the Guardian was able to get that shot of all those Union Pacific (UP) engines in storage in Nampa. That photo, as good as it is, probably won’t be gracing the UP calendar anytime soon.

But the Guardian, or any of us for that matter, won’t be able to take photos of AMTRAK trains from stations unless we first get permission from AMTRAK to do so. The exception is if you have an AMTRAK ticket. Then you can take a couple of quick snaps before hopping on the train. That policy, recently adopted, is probably unconstitutional but has yet to be tested. AMTRAK’s chief bull (that’s railroad police for you non – railroad types) has indicated that policy won’t be at the top of his enforcement priority list.

By law, freight railroads must give AMTRAK priority on their tracks. AMTRAK is dependent on freight railroads for providing most of the track over which it operates. About the only place AMTRAK owns the track it operates on is the Northeast Corridor (NEC) between Boston and Washington, DC. And the NEC is reported to be the only place where AMTRAK actually covers its operating, but not capital, expenses. About half of AMTRAK’s revenue comes from the Federal government – our Federal tax dollars.

Freight railroads receive incentive payments from AMTRAK if predetermined on time performance measures are met. If freight railroads fail to provide priority to AMTRAK trains on a consistent basis they can be fined. That rarely, if ever, happens.

AMTRAK’s long distance train on time performance is dismal but improving. A national magazine which reports on railroad happenings seems to agree with the Guardian that the improvement is due mainly to fewer freight trains on the tracks because of the economy. Reports seem to indicate that UP has sidelined, as of June, about 25% of its locomotives.

AMTRAK also has been pressuring the freight railroads for better priority and it seems to be working. On time performance for the California Zephyr (which the Pioneer was once part of) is now about 60% compared to about 40% a year ago. AMTRAK’s on time goal for the Zephyr is 70%.

And Gordon, I suggest that AMTRAK can compete with, and beat, airplanes in short haul (corridor service) markets. New York City (Penn Station) to Washington, DC (Union Station) on AMTRAK’s NEC Acela (high speed) service is scheduled at just under 3 hours. Regular (slower) service is about 4 hours. Downtown to downtown. No long TSA screening lines. Large comfortable seats with power outlets for computers or whatever. No extra fees either.

But bring back the Pioneer? As much as I’d like to see it I know my Federal tax dollars could be better spent elsewhere on the AMTRAK system improving infrastructure and attracting new riders in more densely populated markets.

Time to park the idea of restoring the Pioneer on a long siding – just like those UP engines. At least for now.

“So let’s see…I can spend $1800 and 5 days to ride the train to Washington DC or buy an airline ticket for about $500 and get there the same day”

Don’t you mean, ‘maybe get there’ and of course, you forgot to mention the baggage lottery where your luggage not only costs in addition to the ticket but too often does not even show up…Now add in the absolute awful, cattle car type of service one gets on that plane, the complete lack of comfort and civility, a schedule that is really little more than a wish list, and I managed to get from Portland Maine to Spokane in 3.5 days, not 5 in comfort and with all my baggage while flying would have been hell…well, I can only say you must not have ever ridden a real passenger train.

EDITOR NOTE–Jim, not bad. AMTRAK got you within 350 miles of your destination in Boise…only a short day taxi or bus ride to Boise. We checked yesterday and it looks like nearly 4 days and $428 one way to Washington from Boise to Washington. Realistically one can’t ride that long without either a hotel overnight or upgrade to sleeper car etc.

“EDITOR NOTE–Jim, not bad. AMTRAK got you within 350 miles of your destination in Boise…only a short day taxi or bus ride to Boise. We checked yesterday and it looks like nearly 4 days and $428 one way to Washington from Boise to Washington. Realistically one can’t ride that long without either a hotel overnight or upgrade to sleeper car etc.”

I had a compartment and had arranged to buy a car on arrival in Spokane (Post falls Idaho actually). Now figure the service had not been improved since the 1950’s….I am for real, cross country high speed train..a day or so to get anywhere, 200mph or more, modern comfortable trains, and first class service…consider, while the train has managed to creek along into old age with style and comfort, aviation has become a cattle call, worse by far then the worst of travel half a century ago.

When I lived in Portland Maine there was a decade long drive to resurrect Portland to Boston service. We were assured it could not possibly work. On the 4th year of return to service one had to get reservations a week in advance as every train was sold out.

Dave, I have lived in Germany. Check the graph I sent you that says only 57% of rail lines in Germany are electric. I should have said that not all trains in Germany run on electricity. The intercontinental express is electric.

EDITOR NOTE–As a candidate for public office it is important to be offer FACTUAL information to the public. You are welcome to challenge the GUARDIAN who travels to Europe at least annually or even WIKIPEDIA, but it won’t change the following truth from WIKIPEDIA:
“Electric locomotives are ideal for commuter rail service with frequent stops. They are used on ALL high-speed lines, such as ICE in Germany, Acela in the US, Shinkansen in Japan and TGV in France. Electric locomotives are also used on freight routes that have a consistently high traffic volume, or in areas with advanced rail networks. Electric locomotives benefit from the high efficiency of electric motors, often above 90%.”

ALL freight and passenger locomotives in service in the United States and Canada run on electric motors. The diesel locomotive is actually a diesel-electric in which a diesel generator provides power for the for electric traction motors that power each axle on the locomotive.