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| California already has Amtrak - No Bullet Train is needed. |
A Government Run by Idiots
In 2013 Amtrak California will lose $5.79 for each passenger.
- If the insane and overpriced Bullet Train ever manages to come on line it will pull passengers from the existing Amtrak service causing Amtrak to lose even more money.
- But no one dares ask questions. It might upset the free flow of billions in corrupt money to businesses and unions building the Bullet Train.
Amtrak's San Joaquin line, the Valley's only passenger train service, posted record ridership in 2012, attracting more than 1.1 million passengers last year.
The record number of people riding the rails comes even as controversy continues to boil over plans to run high-speed trains through the region from San Francisco to Los Angeles.
The Fresno Bee reports that despite the rising ridership and revenue from ticket sales, the San Joaquins -- along with Amtrak's other California lines and many others across the country -- remain money-losing propositions. In its 2013 budget projections, the National Railroad Passenger Corp. -- the formal name for Amtrak -- estimated a loss of $5.79 for every passenger riding on the San Joaquin trains.
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| The proposed California Bullet Train will lose millions every year of operation. But worse, it will draw passengers away the the already money losing Amtrak train service. |
Of 45 Amtrak passenger train lines across the U.S., only five make money. Among the money losers, only three lose less per passenger than the San Joaquins.
The San Joaquins, along with the Pacific Surfliner and Capitol Corridor trains, are run by Amtrak under contracts with Caltrans' Division of Rail, which subsidizes the service. Caltrans supports the San Joaquin Corridor to the tune of about $90 million a year.
The Amtrak San Joaquins -- six daily trains northbound and six southbound between Bakersfield and the Bay Area and Sacramento -- also saw revenue from ticket sales rise in the 2012 fiscal year to about $38.7 million. That's a boost of about $3 million, or 8.3%, over 2011.
The growth in ridership on the Valley trains corresponds to similar increases seen by Amtrak nationwide -- a record 31.2 million passengers, said Christina Leeds, an Amtrak spokeswoman.
Much of the growth nationwide was in the Northeast Corridor and on the West Coast. Three of Amtrak's six busiest corridors were in California -- the Pacific Surfliner trains that run from San Diego to San Luis Obispo, the Capitol Corridor line that links Sacramento to San Jose, and the San Joaquins, which saw a 7.2% jump in ridership.
Amtrak attributes the growth to improving passenger services including e-tickets and WiFi aboard its trains, and travelers who are weary of high fuel prices for automobiles as well as congested highways and airports.
(Fresno Bee)
2 comments:
If the California Bullet out-competes the San Juaquin than the money losing train will be replaced.
The CalBullet almost exactly duplicates the layout of the Sanyo shinkansen. Since JR West had profits of a half billion dollars last year, there's no historical evidence from any source that indicates that the CalBullet will lose money. In fact, the profitable record of the Acela indicates a high likelihood of success in the CalBulet's high density route corridor.
I think profit is better than continued losses.
"Bullet" train from L.A. to San Fran. will not be two hours plus.
I have seen many reports on the costs. Give me a break.
#1) The train will hardly ever reach max speed.
#2) There are many stops along the way such as in the San Fernando Valley, Palmdale, Bakersfield etc. Each stop will require at least 30 to 45 minutes to load and unload passengers and luggage.
With only four stops along the way you will add 2 to 3 hours at least to the trip. More stops will drive up the time.
Why would someone spend 5 to 6 hours+ on a train when they can fly in minutes.
I love trains. Simply complete the existing standard train coastal line that ends in San Luis Obispo. Cut that line through to San Jose.
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