Underfunded Trains

Arrived in Denver yesterday, by train from San Francisco. The train ride was fantastic – The California Zephyr , 36 hours across the Rocky Mountains, the Sierra Nevadas, through vast empty prairies, across California, Nevada, Utah and Colorado. Incredible scenery! A must.

The underfunding of our train was painfully evident. The train itself is 30 years old, but still pressing on. Amtrak no longer has its own tracks for this route, but pays private freight train companies to use their – bumpy – tracks. We seldom exceeded 40 miles (about 65 km) per hour, which is fine for freight, and nice to see the sights but slow if you want to get somewhere. We waited hours while (unexpected) freight trains took precedence. We arrived 3 hours late. We were told this train is almost always off schedule, sometimes by as much as 10 hours. A real pity. The marvellous train staff did their best to make us comfortable.

Congress demands that Amtrak show a profit, but heavily subsidizes the roads. Why a double standard? Why must US transport policy force the population into the hands of the automobile, tire and oil industries? Are there no alternatives?

Best,

Bob

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