Comments on: Flash! Amtrak Food Services Loses Money

By: the highwayman

the highwayman — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 06:19:25 +0000

Frank if you drove or took the bus to Missoula would that have been nostalgic too?

If Amtrak doesn’t serve Missoula, then it doesn’t serve Missoula.

Hey I don’t expect you to drive or go by bus from Seattle to Honolulu either.

By: the highwayman

the highwayman — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 05:59:54 +0000

Toilet paper costs money.

So would you testify against toilet paper too?

By: Frank

Frank — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 17:17:54 +0000

You're new here, and to see what the problem is with HSR, try reading some previous posts. I take an airplane any day compared to Amtrak. In a recent comment, I mentioned how I had to get to Montana yesterday. My choices were the Greyhound (sketch central with a late-night layover in Spokane--no thanks; too bad Bolt Bus only goes from Portland/Seattle/Vancouver) or flying. I could have taken the train to Whitefish and tried to get a ride, if I wanted to spend nearly 21 hours getting to my destination instead of the hour and 15 minutes it took on the plane. The flight was full and the model of aircraft has lower GHG emissions per passenger than driving. And it doesn't have to slow down when the rails get hot. And it goes more places. Why anyone would choose Amtrak instead makes no sense, unless it's for nostalgic purposes.

By: Buckner

Buckner — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 11:21:12 +0000

I really don’t know what the problem is as I love to ride Amtrak and love the food service. I really don’t understand why they say they lose money but then again anything the government seems to try and run never works out. I know it certainly cost a lot of money to go from DC to LA with a sleeper but it sure is stress free and I love it. Maybe some daily auditing may work but then again price things so that money will be made. What I don’t understand if the freight trains can run tons of freight for pennies on the mile, why can’t Amtrak. I think somebody is feeding the public a load of bull crap. Every Amtrak I have ever ridden have always been full, the dinning cars have always been full and I am also willing to bet that they could add more sleeper cars and make money but it seems as if there are only a certain amount of sleeper cars to go around and there are no spares, so that is a problem. I like Amtrak and if need be, let the tax payer pay for the high speed lines and let’s get it done. Every country in the world has high speed rail except for the USA, what is the problem. It seems back in the day the RR Barons certainly got rich running railroads and buying land. I think something is terribly wrong with the system in the United States. I will take the train any day compared to the airlines

By: Frank

Frank — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 14:21:14 +0000

I have to get to Missoula, MT in the next week. I could ride Amtrak to Whitefish and try to get a ride to Missoula. But even if I did that, in addition to the 14-hour, overnight trip, the Amtrak site warns me to expect five-hour delays because of the heat. So it’s at least 19 hours plus a drive.

Or…if I fly, it’s 90 minutes, and it gets me two blocks from my destination.

Guess which one I’m taking.

By: Richard B

Richard B — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 05:18:43 +0000

The got to be kidding. Perhaps the reason for the revenue lost is we the customers are starting to bring our own food instead of paying the astronomical prices for vending machine food. on Amtrak trains. I have to take the Amtrak Cascades trim from Portland to Tacoma. My truck will not even make half way. the train looks will worn and badly in need of updating. I wounder it with just pay extra and flying to Seatac then taking the bus back to Lakewood WA.

By: the highwayman

the highwayman — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 03:02:09 +0000

Mica is a jack ass, roads don’t make money though he isn’t trying to get rid of them.

By: andarm16

andarm16 — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 20:35:43 +0000

The underlying and most important issue here is that Amtrak has no idea what it wants to be when it grows up, despite being over fourty. The core of this identity crisis is based off of Amtrak’s need to sell itself based on the changes in the political winds. This means that Amtrak has to be everything to everyone.

The problem with this is that when you try to be everything, you fall short and end up being good at nothing. IE Amtrak is running slower trains with much poorer quality food service, all while losing more money every year. Focusing on the food service losses is just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 02:32:24 +0000

CPZ:

Airlines don’t make any money either. They’ve lost tens of billions since deregulation. Why not get rid of flight attendants and bring in minimum wage contractors?

Maybe Amtrak on board staff should stay Amtrak for the same reason flight attendants need to be airline employees.

By: the highwayman

the highwayman — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 23:56:02 +0000

Perhaps Mica should only be paid $7.25 an hour with no benefits?