Rumor Higher Speed Rail from MCO to Disney World

[cranbiz]

How is the ambience of that ride?

Utilitarian for sure.

Basic transportation but where I got on, I always had a seat to Boston and usually had one for the ride home. Might have been SRO to the Aquarium and the boat was always a pleasant ride to and from the Navy Yard.

Can't say now though as it's been 18 years since I did that.

 

[Disone]

On Bright Blue now and we hit 131 along the beach line

 

[networkpro]

The Amtrak route that Joe Biden took regularly is profitable - the north east corridor. I haven’t seen any favoritism toward Amtrak in the last couple of years.

You do know that passenger trains around the world are subsidized right? Just like all other forms of public transportation.

Parts of Disney are currently profitable, others are not. Do you correct those parts that are not working or just keep tossing money into the furnace? Compare the pay of European train workers vs Amtrak and you'll find the disparity tilts in Amtraks' favor. Infrastructure workers are paid 2.5 times more by Amtrak in salary and 4.25 times more in fringe benefits. The subsidy per mile is similar among European operators and Amtrak ~ .21 cents per rail mile, but what isn't comparable are the distances involved in any expansion of service.

Your argument is about what place the government has in transportation of last resort which is a political discussion, not a fiscal one. Therefore for its verboten under the terms of service that have been laid out.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Parts of Disney are currently profitable, others are not. Do you correct those parts that are not working or just keep tossing money into the furnace?

That’s a choice the owner makes, the Walt Disney Company.

Same with Amtrak - currently the government chooses to continue to lose money on long distance services. That’s the choice the owner has made.

 

[networkpro]

That’s a choice the owner makes, the Walt Disney Company.

Same with Amtrak - currently the government chooses to continue to lose money on long distance services. That’s the choice the owner has made.

But they own only 630 miles of the rails out of the 21,400 that their routes cover or 2.9 % yet they demand priority over their owners' business utilization. The use of public highways and airways supplied, maintained, and managed by the government can be used by anyone or any business that meets the minimum standards.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

But they own only 630 miles of the rails out of the 21,400 that their routes cover or 2.9 % yet they demand priority over their owners' business utilization. The use of public highways and airways supplied, maintained, and managed by the government can be used by anyone or any business that meets the minimum standards.

“demand priority” = pay for priority. Amtrak pays lots of money for the slots on the host railroads.

And by owner, I meant the owner of Amtrak as a company.

Now you bring up a different issue, railroads really should be owned by the government just like the air traffic control and highways. They are part of the transportation network and shouldn’t have been allowed to create monopolies.

 

[networkpro]

“demand priority” = pay for priority. Amtrak pays lots of money for the slots on the host railroads.

And by owner, I meant the owner of Amtrak as a company.

Now you bring up a different issue, railroads really should be owned by the government just like the air traffic control and highways. They are part of the transportation network and shouldn’t have been allowed to create monopolies.

And the "there ought to be a law" triggers my exit from your political argument.

 

[lazyboy97o]

And the "there ought to be a law" triggers my exit from your political argument.

Because you were so noble and totally not being political bringing up Amtrak in a thread not about Amtrak.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

And the "there ought to be a law" triggers my exit from your political argument.

Lol. I’m not making a political argument. You seem to be dead set against passenger rail for some reason - not sure why.

I love all forms of public transportation and the more connected this country is the better. There is my political statement I guess haha.

 

[bpiper]

But they own only 630 miles of the rails out of the 21,400 that their routes cover or 2.9 % yet they demand priority over their owners' business utilization. The use of public highways and airways supplied, maintained, and managed by the government can be used by anyone or any business that meets the minimum standards.

Don't forget, that was part of the deal the railroads made with federal government to allow them to stop offering passenger service back in the 70's.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Don't forget, that was part of the deal the railroads made with federal government to allow them to stop offering passenger service back in the 70's.

They also routinely deprioritize Amtrak trains without penalty.

 

[networkpro]

Don't forget, that was part of the deal the railroads made with federal government to allow them to stop offering passenger service back in the 70's.

It has never been more than a jobs program for anywhere except the DC to Boston corridor.

Amtrak at 50: The Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970 - The Eno Center for Transportation

Fifty years ago today, President Nixon signed into law the Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970 (Public Law 91-518), relieving the nation’s railroads of the requirement that they continue passenger service and creating a new National Railroad Passenger Corporation to carry on that service starting...

enotrans.org

 

[Ayla]

They also routinely deprioritize Amtrak trains without penalty.

Yeah, any one who has ever ridden Amtrak knows they don't have priority over freight.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

It has never been more than a jobs program for anywhere except the DC to Boston corridor.

Amtrak at 50: The Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970 - The Eno Center for Transportation

Fifty years ago today, President Nixon signed into law the Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970 (Public Law 91-518), relieving the nation’s railroads of the requirement that they continue passenger service and creating a new National Railroad Passenger Corporation to carry on that service starting...

enotrans.org

Have you ever ridden Amtrak? I’ve used it to get to both Disney World and Disneyland many many times!

Yeah, any one who has ever ridden Amtrak knows they don't have priority over freight.

But give VIA rail in Canada a go and you’ll see that Amtrak does get some priority! Haha

 

[networkpro]

Have you ever ridden Amtrak? I’ve used it to get to both Disney World and Disneyland many many times!

But give VIA rail in Canada a go and you’ll see that Amtrak does get some priority! Haha

Nope, I never have needed to do so even when I lived and worked in NoVa. Amtrak was supposed to become self‐supporting after a transition period, but it has never earned a profit and it consumed more than $50 billion in federal subsidies over five decades to 2020. In fiscal year 2021, Amtrak had revenues of $2.1 billion, expenses of $4.1 billion, and a loss of $2.0 billion.

 

[JoeCamel]

Nope, I never have needed to do so even when I lived and worked in NoVa. Amtrak was supposed to become self‐supporting after a transition period, but it has never earned a profit and it consumed more than $50 billion in federal subsidies over five decades to 2020. In fiscal year 2021, Amtrak had revenues of $2.1 billion, expenses of $4.1 billion, and a loss of $2.0 billion.

Postal service ugly cousin

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Nope, I never have needed to do so even when I lived and worked in NoVa. Amtrak was supposed to become self‐supporting after a transition period

It’s a great way to travel. As is VIA Rail in Canada (a Crown Corporation - so, government supported).

Are you against all public transit? (SunRail, Lynx Bus, etc.)

 

[networkpro]

Postal service ugly cousin

Another Government-mandated failure. We have a post office in Whitt, TX but the population is only 54.

 

[JoeCamel]

Another Government-mandated failure. We have a post office in Whitt, TX but the population is only 54.
View attachment 760498

That is a lot, drive the trail in Florida to find a tiny one

 

[Rich Brownn]

Have you ever ridden Amtrak? I’ve used it to get to both Disney World and Disneyland many many times!

But give VIA rail in Canada a go and you’ll see that Amtrak does get some priority! Haha

I used Amtrak to go from Orlando to Los Angeles 3 times (before it stopped running to Orlando). Twice it was as perfect as you could imagine. One time it was the train from hell (And, of course, it was the only time I took my husband after convincing him it was great). Track work meant being bussed to New Orleans (thereby skipping one of the most scenic parts); return trip was 16 hours late due to flooding in the south. Decision was made to stop the train in NO and turn around there meaning being bussed back again to Orlando. A/C was out in the carriage. Waiter was unbelievably rude (I tipped him 2 cents at the end of the meal - didn't want him to think I forgot). My complain to Amtrak was 6 pages long. Got a very nice rep called me, gave me a free ticket to LA for both of us anytime in the future and even covered our unexpected hotel in LA (due to the delay) which technically they didn't have to as it was weather related.