On May 1, 2011 Amtrak kicked off its 40th anniversary celebration.They did not mention the fact that over that period of time Amtrak has cost taxpayers $37 billion! The railroad was supposed to earn a profit when it was created by the government in 1971, but it never happened.In fact, a 2009 study found that taxpayers paid $32 in subsidies for each passenger in 2008.Now get this; by booking one month in advance, it is possible to buy a round trip plane ticket from New Orleans to Los Angeles and back for less than Amtrak loses on each passenger on a one-way trip between those same locations!
Former Amtrak spokesman and rail expert Joseph Vranich asserted that "Amtrak is a massive failure because it is wedded to a failed paradigm.It runs trains that serve political purposes as opposed to being responsive to the marketplace.America needs passenger trains in selected areas, but it doesn't need Amtrak’s antiquated route system, poor service and unreasonable operating deficits." The so-called "Father of Amtrak," Anthony Haswell, has stated regret for his involvement: "I feel personally embarrassed over what I helped to create."
HSR:
"Such rail systems might be popular in other countries, but that does not mean they will work throughout the United States".On May 17, 2011, The Orange County (CA) Register profiled the problems in California’s high-speed rail project, approved in 2008, citing cost overruns, mishandled funds, and administrative and communications problems.
The business model for high-speed rail is also problematic.According to an editorial in The Economist on May 20, 2011, only one high-speed train service in the world makes economic sense—the Shinkansen route in Japan, because it covers an area with a dense population and relatively high income levels.Approximately 180,000 citizens per mile live along the rail line.(Authors note: Norma and I have ridden this route on this train and I can believe this).Even with a projected population increase of eight million over the next 14 years, the number of Californians living along the proposed line is unlikely to rise above 85,000 per mile.
The train will take away acres and acres of precious farm land and devastate towns where the area will be claimed under eminent domain. Some of the proposed track will cut a town in half with the train running through the middle of their commerce area. Can you imagine how this track would cut through our productive and valuable farm land?
A high speed railway would require acquiring millions of acres of land. Most of it would probably be by eminent domain.The land acquisition and construction would cost into the $Trillions, Obama’s favorite numbers! We would then have to subsidize it as we do with Amtrak at a much higher rate.
I have an alternative to this high speed transportation system.It is air planes! It requires no land mass and it is safer than the railway.There is a lot of space up there and no railways or roads to build.All that is needed is to manage it well.
The airlines should consider using helicopters for short haul trips.It was used in the 1960’s in Orange County, CA and I made quite a few trips.Man, was that great! It took a fracture of the time of driving and all of the traffic I missed.It would be more meaningful today with increased automobile traffic. Helicopters have come a long way in fifty years! Another benefit of the helicopter over an airplane for in state travel is that it only requires a landing pad and no runway. It is time to consider it seriously.
Right from Springville ...
