Why does the Amtrak train still look like a 1950's body style design ?

[beagle9]

People you do realize that the auto industry has gone through the same upheavals and redesigns or upgrades to get people interested again, and to become profitable again? What if the nation just gave up, and lost it's will in the process, along with seeing foriegn investors doing what we as cowards are no longer willing to do ?

 

[airplanemechanic]

We don't have a huge train infrastructure. THAT'S why it's been ignored. Nobody rides trains. Not when you can get one way tickets on southwest for 69.

 

[beagle9]

We don't have a huge train infrastructure. THAT'S why it's been ignored. Nobody rides trains. Not when you can get one way tickets on southwest for 69.

. So your prediction is that we will lose passenger trains forever then ? How much longer, do you know ?

 

[airplanemechanic]

Until the gov't can't afford to subsidize them anymore.

 

[Political Junky]

We as a nation can't afford to run Amtrak. How can you justify spending MORE money in an arena already proven unprofitable?

Me thinks you never ran a business. Stop saying because it works overseas it will work here. That mindset will bite you in the ass.

You need to read this. Sit down, grab a coke, and read it.

Replacing Amtrak: A Blueprint for Sustainable Passenger Rail Service

http://cagw.org/sites/default/files/users/user1/haswellAmtrakquote.pdf

It is estimated that 84000 people use Amtrak daily. Sounds like alot. It's nothing. In the USA alone, 1.73 MILLION people per day fly.

If anything, Amtrak needs to die. As of 1997, the gov't had poured 22 BILLION dollars in subsidies to keep it operational.

Old AMTRAK trains are nothing like new high speed trains in use for years in other countries. It's comparing apples and oranges.

 

[airplanemechanic]

Old Amtrak trains are at least PAID FOR. Kinda like the track its running on.

This is your logic: I have an old car that's paid for. I can't make money on it because not enough people ride in it. So I'm going to invest in a NEW car. Take on more debt. I'm already in debt up to my eyeballs but lets take on more. But not just a new car, a new car that requires a special kind of road. I have to build the road and pay for the car to put on it. That's insane.

This isn't simple like just going out to buy a new car to replace an old one. You have to lay down the infrastructure to run this new train on. That doesn't exist.

I can see why this country is in the financial ruin that it's in.

 

[NoTeaPartyPleez]

The Right won't allow modern high speed rail.

There's nothing "modern" about trains when we already have interstate highways and airplanes. Governor Brown will drain California's treasury for a train that is not needed when California really needs is water.

Obviously, you've never been on a modern high speed train like ones used in Europe, China, and Japan.

So that's the reason you want high speed trains? So we can be more like other countries? That seems to be the Democrat's argument for everything they desire.

Yes, we liberals would like to have mass transit because we liberals know that businesses don't thrive from employees sitting in their cars in heavy traffic on freeways for 2-3 hours a day. But sitting on a train with WiFi provides an extra 1-2 hours a day of productivity.

Here's the newest train design coming to Japan. These incredibly liberal, government suckers are deciding that trains should fit more into the landscape, as they respect their environment a whole lot more than Republicans do theirs in the U.S.

This is being referred to as Seibu Railway's "invisible train": And oh yeah, it's very high speed.

 

[August West]

Old Amtrak trains are at least PAID FOR. Kinda like the track its running on.

This is your logic: I have an old car that's paid for. I can't make money on it because not enough people ride in it. So I'm going to invest in a NEW car. Take on more debt. I'm already in debt up to my eyeballs but lets take on more. But not just a new car, a new car that requires a special kind of road. I have to build the road and pay for the car to put on it. That's insane.

This isn't simple like just going out to buy a new car to replace an old one. You have to lay down the infrastructure to run this new train on. That doesn't exist.

I can see why this country is in the financial ruin that it's in.

Take away the airline subsidies and that industry is dead! Amtrak gets nickels and dimes.

 

[Political Junky]

Old Amtrak trains are at least PAID FOR. Kinda like the track its running on.

This is your logic: I have an old car that's paid for. I can't make money on it because not enough people ride in it. So I'm going to invest in a NEW car. Take on more debt. I'm already in debt up to my eyeballs but lets take on more. But not just a new car, a new car that requires a special kind of road. I have to build the road and pay for the car to put on it. That's insane.

This isn't simple like just going out to buy a new car to replace an old one. You have to lay down the infrastructure to run this new train on. That doesn't exist.

I can see why this country is in the financial ruin that it's in.

Bill Clinton left us in good shape, then Bush, Jr. declared two unnecessary wars and his administration ended with a huge recession.

 

[Political Junky]

Old Amtrak trains are at least PAID FOR. Kinda like the track its running on.

This is your logic: I have an old car that's paid for. I can't make money on it because not enough people ride in it. So I'm going to invest in a NEW car. Take on more debt. I'm already in debt up to my eyeballs but lets take on more. But not just a new car, a new car that requires a special kind of road. I have to build the road and pay for the car to put on it. That's insane.

This isn't simple like just going out to buy a new car to replace an old one. You have to lay down the infrastructure to run this new train on. That doesn't exist.

I can see why this country is in the financial ruin that it's in.

Yes, paid for and awful. I suppose you think our bridges are safe, too.
Government subsidizes airlines and other industry.

 

[airplanemechanic]

Bill Clinton left us in good shape,

Please do some research on "dot com bubble" and get back to me.

 

[Staidhup]

So who will ride these new trains you envision, how will it be funded? Mass transit is great provided the government pays for it and subsidizes operations, but then again it isn't government that funds them after all is it ,nope, taxes. The roads and highway systems are so poor in Europe it provides a financially feasible alternative to auto traffic, guess what, it is fueled by consumer demand, the market place.

 

[longknife]

I am unsure but think we are one of the few nations of the world that does not consider public transportation a function of government.

I know most public transportation systems are generally subsidized by fuel taxes.

The biggest problem here in the USA is our centuries-old heritage of homes on individual lots. Almost all the cities in the western half of the country a such huge sprawls that convenient public transportation is nearly impossible.

This is the bus system here in Southern Nevada


Parent Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Founded December 5, 1992 (as Citizens Area Transit)
Headquarters Las Vegas, Nevada
Locale Clark County, Nevada
Service area Southern Nevada: Las Vegas, North Las Vegas Henderson, Boulder City
Service type Bus, Bus Rapid Transit, Paratransit
Routes 51
Stops 3900+
Stations 4
Fleet 408 Fixed Route
300 Paratransit
Daily ridership 178,390 (weekday)
Fuel type Ultra Low-Sulfur Diesel, CNG.
Operator Keolis Transit America, MV Transportation, SNTC
(fixed-route service), Transdev
(ADA Paratransit)

51 stops with 3,900+ stops and 408 buses - a lot of them the big double-deckers. And let's estimate one needs 3 drivers for each vehicle and we come up with 1,200+ and that doesn't include mechanics, fuelers, and admin types.

I don't have the figures and really don't know where to get them, but compare the ridership to the number of single-occupancey vehicles on the street and it turns out to be one big farce. And, there is no doubt that the vast majority of riders are lowincome, minimum wage types who only use it because they don't have cars anyway.

And they're all run on natural gas or electricity hybrids

 

[Blackrook]

Public transportation in Las Vegas is ok if you have six hours to kill to get across town.

 

[beagle9]

Public transportation in Las Vegas is ok if you have six hours to kill to get across town.

. Something needs to be done about the huge traffic congestion growing and growing and growing in this nation... We might could learn from those who had already peaked in the world. What then, are we now to arrogant and proud to learn new ways of doing things maybe ?

 

[Jarlaxle]

It is permissible for Americans to develop greater technology than the French and Japanese, no? You develop stronger engines and you can put more freight on the train. With the upticks in online shopping and the like more packages than ever are going to be shipped from port cities...the demand will be there.

You know nothing about physics. Just stop, you're embarrassing yourself!

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

Old Amtrak trains are at least PAID FOR. Kinda like the track its running on.

This is your logic: I have an old car that's paid for. I can't make money on it because not enough people ride in it. So I'm going to invest in a NEW car. Take on more debt. I'm already in debt up to my eyeballs but lets take on more. But not just a new car, a new car that requires a special kind of road. I have to build the road and pay for the car to put on it. That's insane.

This isn't simple like just going out to buy a new car to replace an old one. You have to lay down the infrastructure to run this new train on. That doesn't exist.

I can see why this country is in the financial ruin that it's in.

Take away the airline subsidies and that industry is dead! Amtrak gets nickels and dimes.

Airline subsidies???????????

How very 1990s of you!

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

Old Amtrak trains are at least PAID FOR. Kinda like the track its running on.

This is your logic: I have an old car that's paid for. I can't make money on it because not enough people ride in it. So I'm going to invest in a NEW car. Take on more debt. I'm already in debt up to my eyeballs but lets take on more. But not just a new car, a new car that requires a special kind of road. I have to build the road and pay for the car to put on it. That's insane.

This isn't simple like just going out to buy a new car to replace an old one. You have to lay down the infrastructure to run this new train on. That doesn't exist.

I can see why this country is in the financial ruin that it's in.

Yes, paid for and awful. I suppose you think our bridges are safe, too.
Government subsidizes airlines and other industry.

No. The US government does not subsidize the major US airlines.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

Old Amtrak trains are at least PAID FOR. Kinda like the track its running on.

This is your logic: I have an old car that's paid for. I can't make money on it because not enough people ride in it. So I'm going to invest in a NEW car. Take on more debt. I'm already in debt up to my eyeballs but lets take on more. But not just a new car, a new car that requires a special kind of road. I have to build the road and pay for the car to put on it. That's insane.

This isn't simple like just going out to buy a new car to replace an old one. You have to lay down the infrastructure to run this new train on. That doesn't exist.

I can see why this country is in the financial ruin that it's in.

Bill Clinton left us in good shape, then Bush, Jr. declared two unnecessary wars and his administration ended with a huge recession.

Why is it necessary for you to lie to try to make a point?

 

[Political Junky]

Old Amtrak trains are at least PAID FOR. Kinda like the track its running on.

This is your logic: I have an old car that's paid for. I can't make money on it because not enough people ride in it. So I'm going to invest in a NEW car. Take on more debt. I'm already in debt up to my eyeballs but lets take on more. But not just a new car, a new car that requires a special kind of road. I have to build the road and pay for the car to put on it. That's insane.

This isn't simple like just going out to buy a new car to replace an old one. You have to lay down the infrastructure to run this new train on. That doesn't exist.

I can see why this country is in the financial ruin that it's in.

Bill Clinton left us in good shape, then Bush, Jr. declared two unnecessary wars and his administration ended with a huge recession.

Why is it necessary for you to lie to try to make a point?

LOL