Amtrak ridership shot up 12% this year over last, with some trains riding at capacity. Our local transit authority, SEPTA, reports a similar jump in ridership, and recently announced plans for a major expansion in service to coincide with the addition of new equipment next year. All around, the drumbeat for expanding existing service and initiating new routes just gets thumps louder in the face of rising oil and gas prices. Indeed, the future for passenger rail hasn't looked this promising since Grover Cleveland's administration -- either one.
Unfortunately, despite the rising popularity, passenger rail remains a money-losing proposition and remains dependent on government subsidy. Amtrak desperately needs to upgrade and add to its equipment roster. According to reports, the service hasn't added a car to its fleet in over ten years, and the existing equipment has taken a beating. Washington has begun to recognize the necessity for Amtrak in its rhetoric, but so far has little to show for actual funds. Meanwhile, according to Amtrak president Alex Kummant, highways got another $10 billion and $8 billion went to "security and life safey for cruise ships." Try commuting on an ocean liner. We bring this up mindful of the presidential race now raging across America.
While we don't make it a practice to endorse any candidates, we would remind you that Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden from Delaware commutes to Washington every day aboard Amtrak and Republican presidential nominee-presumptive John McCain has spent most of his tenure in the Senate trying to eliminate Amtrak altogether.
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We rode from Boston to Chicago, then to LA and up the coast to Seattle before returning home thru Chicago to Boston. The BOS-CHI train, the Lakeshore Limited, stops in Albany and joins up with its twin from NYC. The ride from Boston to Albany was so full that they had to add an extra business-class car. In Albany, that car was sent back to Boston and we we moved into a commuter rail car (which is no substitute for a proper long-haul passenger car!).
On every train the cars were full, the dining car had wait-lists, and their normally-well-s tocked cafe cars were running out of things. It was good to see - I hope many of our fellow riders become repeat customers!