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Amtrak Should Exit Commuter Rail Business, Rep. John Mica Says

11 Sep 2012 8:13 PM | Jackson McQuigg (Administrator)
From the Boston Globe:


--Jackson McQuigg

Comments

  • 12 Sep 2012 1:19 AM | Anonymous
    I have to disagree with Mica. Amtrak won a contract back for the Metrolink service in Los Angeles and has done an outstanding job of turning things around.
    While Metrolink was under contract with Veolia, I noticed maintenance was deferred and trains were dirty.They were also under contract during the two terrible accidents Metrolink was involved in. First, in Glendale, the aborted suicide attempt when somebody parked his jeep on the tracks. Second, in Chatsworth, where an engineer was distracted by texting causing a head-on crash with a freight train. Ridership also declined.
    Friends I have in Los Angeles are glad to have Amtrak back. On-time performance has improved, the trains are clean, ridership is up, and management is more receptive to the clientele. I noticed it there when I made a visit to California back in June.
    On the other hand, in northern California, Caltrain has had problems since their contract with Amtrak expired back in May. I rode the last day Amtrak had teh contract, no problem. But the day I left northern California, trains were late, and an inexperienced crew apparently caused a fuel leak on the locomotive and set the train back I was riding on almost 40 minutes late to its final destination.
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  • 12 Sep 2012 11:59 AM | Deleted user
    Remember that Mica is on a holy Jihad (his own words) to wean Amtrak off the public dole. Remember also that the Republicans want to eliminate it also. Get ready to be used incompetence etc. as you mention, as it is coming.
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    • 19 Sep 2012 12:08 AM | Deleted user
      THen there's this from a few days ago. Did this go around Mica?

      http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/blog/2012/09/slideshow-riding-the-future-sunrail.html
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      • 22 Sep 2012 9:38 PM | Deleted user
        Mica has been generally supportive of SunRail, after all it affects his constituents. His jihad (his words) is against Amtrak, long distance trains in particular. Remember this guy is the main reason we don't have anything east of NewOrleans and if the amount of equipment required for the remains of that train mean anything, there is truth in NARP's figures about revenue from east of NewOrleans. It used to run 2.5 sleepers and 4 coaches. Now for the most part it is 1.5 sleepers and 2 - 3 coaches.
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