Finally watched this. Pretty solid video, but they seem to stand by the general opinion that Amtrak should be profitable. Unfortunately, Congress would agree with them: when Amtrak was created and absorbed the remaining private rail routes in the early 70’s, they were tasked with the goal of profitability because the feds were actually trying to destroy it. Against all odds, Amtrak managed to survive on a shoestring budget and continues operating today.
What I would have preferred to see in this video is CNBC arguing that Amtrak’s focus should not be profitability, for several reasons:
Amtrak is a public service. We don’t expect highways or libraries or the postal service to be profitable, so why would we expect that from rail? Congress needs to strip the profitability mandate and begin to fund it the way that we have historically funded highways in this country, with the knowledge that sufficient investment will lead to more use.
Amtrak, in its current state, cannot be profitable. They were pretty close to profitability pre-pandemic, but that was largely due to cuts to amenities, routes, and staffing. The CEO at the time wanted to cut long-distance routes altogether, which certainly would have cut costs, but there are also many rural communities who rely on those routes for both business and out-of-state travel. Rail is really only profitable when services are fast and frequent, and the NEC is the only Amtrak route that checks either of those boxes currently (and it’s still far behind other countries in both regards).
Launching new routes is not going to be profitable either, at least not at first. New services are likely going to start at low frequencies and will need to build ridership over time. In other words, Amtrak is going to have to spend money to make money.
In two or three decades, with significant federal investment between now and then, maybe we’ll see a profitable Amtrak that actually provides good services and amenities, like some countries in Europe and Asia. But it’s ridiculous to expect that from a rail service that’s been starved for funding for five straight decades.
I didn’t really expect anything else from CNBC, seeing as finance news organizations generally view just about everything through the lens of profitability. Still, it irritates me that most of this country thinks Amtrak should be treated like an airline despite the fact that air travel and infrastructure are subsidized much more heavily than rail equivalents. The media continues to blow opportunities to sway public opinion on what is easily the most sustainable and pleasant form of travel, keeping a better future at an arm’s length.
Does the journalist behind that video even understand that he has the power (and permission) to shape public opinion like this, in the first place? CNBC? Mainstream American journalists in general?
I dug around to learn more about that journalist (here’s his LinkedIn and MuckRack profiles), and I have a feeling he wouldn’t have the impulse to think that in the first place. Robert Ferris’ main shtick seems to be doing market analysis on the future of transportation, with his beats mostly revolving around electric vehicles in America.
I’d imagine that he’s taking the perspective that Amtrak is a company serving its customers, and that any external factors like federal regulations are not something that could be changed. After all, if your career mostly focuses on rapidly growing companies with big potential markets and few rules, that’s where your mind naturally wonders; why would you think of it any other way? Journalists’ careers, these days, are measured in terms of views and clicks that play to the habits and biases of their platforms’ existing audiences, not the thoroughness of their reporting or how much it makes people rethink their worldviews.
TL/DR: I think this article could’ve ended up with different conclusions and stronger messages -but I think it’s unfair to fault Ferris or CNBC for it beyond a certain extent.
So here’s my thoughts: Wake County i’m mean yes the Durham -Chapel Hill MSA needs to merge with the Raleigh-Cary MSA before we can get some visibility (that probably one reason why senator Dole, voted them over us in 2006 in the transit grant because we have split 5 years before) But still we can still be on our own, just like how they use some areas outside of the city limits, and claim it like Carowinds. Even when it’s technically not in the city but they like to claim it. We can build light rail for Wake County alone. Raleigh Alone. And avoid the compromising crap that’s exactly what there doing. Just using the suburbs as the icing to the cake.
I did it once (for much less than $600). It was fun! Wouldn’t do it again for a while though, it really does take forever, even if I like looking out the window.
We did the same in, I think, 2014. I want to say we paid somewhere in the $300s for two tickets to NY and back. Fun but yeah, takes to long. The arrival was memorable cause as we were walking out of Penn Station, the Canes just lost to the Rangers and we had to walk out with rabid Rangers fans all around us.
I don’t think I’d want to take a train there. I’m still tempted to try Richmond or DC soon tho. I think those might be doable. Richmond isn’t super easy to do on foot tho, but it closer and less of a gamble for a first attempt. Thoughts/experiences?
DC I think is worth it. Yes, driving is quicker but I’ve never figured out a good way to park the car since I always like staying in the thick of things and using the metro everywhere I go. One year we parked it at the Reagan airport and took the metro in. The thinking was that the daily parking charges were less than (almost half) that of the hotel. That was true but just an ok experience, don’t need to do it again.
I think you can take Amtrak to Alexandria and then start your DC exploring from there or just take it into Union Station and stay nearby. I feel once you have access to the DC metro, you are good to go unlike say training it to charlotte where you are left stranded once you arrive.
I’ve done the trip to DC quite a few times. My favorite way to do it is to drive to Rocky Mount and ride from there to Alexandria. Basically, by going to RMT you can drive an hour, to save about two hours of time on the train - and they have 4 daily round trips (about one every 2 hours from 10am to 2pm, and then one in the middle of the night) compared with the 2 per day in Raleigh.
Getting off in ALX you can choose to ride the blue or yellow line. At Union Station you’re closer to the center of town but it’s longer on the Amtrak train (those last few miles into US aren’t especially fast) and you only have the red line.
If we had the S-line, then the advantage of going through Rocky Mount would be eliminated.
That’s totally fair… but Union Station is so gorgeous. You really feel like you’re in the capital when you walk into that train hall. It’s a whole experience.
I guess if the booze is free. But shoot, i could go to Europe in the same time for the same money. I could see if it was like going through the Alps but all you will see here is spray paint and trash.
I took the train from Richmond to Greensboro when I lived up there. The train took 6.5 hours (plus another 1.5 hour drive to my parents house) whereas the driving trip from Richmond to Mount Airy was 4.5 hours. Glad I did it, but it was a one time thing.
Also, most of the trains go to the Staples Mill station (not Main Street station downtown). Staples Mill station is pretty suburban in its surroundings, you’ll have to uber/taxi into the “walkable” parts of Richmond. When I lived there, only the trains going to Norfolk arrived/departed at Main Street station. Staples Mill was the primary passenger station, but that was also nearly 15 years ago.
I know all the Amtrak routes heading NE now start at Main St Station (as of last year). I’d be surprised if this wasn’t also the case for the other routes – they’ve invested a ton into upgrading and restoring the station and adjacent train shed… it’s a gorgeous space!
It is a great building that was almost lost forever (TWICE!). First to I-95, the second time to a fire. The restoration is awesome! My favorite thing is the marker halfway up the steps of the highwater mark during Hurricane Hazel (?). It is such a treasure for RVA. I’m glad to hear it is being utilized more these days.
They eventually want to make it so all routes stop at both Main Street and Staples Mill, but, unfortunately, that’s going to require some track rebuilding for trains coming from/heading to North Carolina. One of the many efforts included in the DC2RVA Final EIS.
When I took the train in 2006ish, we went south from Staples Mill, down the center of 195 then crossed the James beside the Powhite Parkway bridge. I was disappointed that we didn’t go via downtown, but somewhere south of Richmond the two lines must come back together. We stopped so many times, which is why it took so long to get to Greensboro. (Richmond, Petersburg, Rocky Mount, Wilson, Selma, Smithfield, Raleigh, Durham, Burlington(?), and finally Greensboro)
