tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903937763350788308.post8612701884798379493..comments2023-04-27T03:19:55.560-07:00Comments on Reason & Rail: Opening up the NEC to private operatorsPaul Drucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01856513230667005087noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903937763350788308.post-70652043877704349452011-06-01T13:32:28.194-07:002011-06-01T13:32:28.194-07:00Think of it this way: Instead of Amtrak spending u...Think of it this way: Instead of Amtrak spending undue billions to fix crumbling infrastructure, the TMO under partial or total control by the feds would do the task. <br /><br />There's this industry-wide perception that if Amtrak loses control of the NEC, it wouldn't be a "real railroad." I disagree with that assessment because a USDOT-run NEC would allow Amtrak to run routes and not spend lots of money maintaining a 100+ year old system that was passed unto them. Instead, the TMO would be able to fix the NEC to a state of good repair at a much lower cost than the $117 billion Amtrak is proposing for a brand new NEC.The Rail Enthusiasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08716370779057151520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903937763350788308.post-58822804467950688392011-05-31T10:49:45.489-07:002011-05-31T10:49:45.489-07:00I don't see how transferring the NEC to a trac...I don't see how transferring the NEC to a track maintenance program would actually help matters. Amtrak would simply be assessed the same costs, plus probably a small additional due to the extra bureaucracy, which keeps it in the same position.<br /><br />As for transferring track to Federal control, that strikes me as more of a solution in search of a problem. There are occasional conflicts between passenger rail desires to use the same ROW or rail, but this can be handled legislatively (either through simply mandating the sharing or making corridor improvement grants contingent upon such sharing). I find it rather doubtful you'd see as much private investment in rail capacity and new rail lines as you currently do if you were to nationalize the rail lines.Paul Drucehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01856513230667005087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903937763350788308.post-40559844462200799742011-05-30T22:52:01.103-07:002011-05-30T22:52:01.103-07:00In regards to the Mica-Shuster proposal, the NEC S...In regards to the Mica-Shuster proposal, the NEC SHOULD be transferred to a track maintenance organization because it's the ownership of tracks that's putting Amtrak deep in the red. <br /><br />As a matter of fact, ALL trackage should be transferred to an ownership group that would be run by either the FRA or the USDOT. The TMO would do all of the work as far as construction, development and maintenance go. All railroads--big and small, freight and passenger--would pay an annual track fee to access rail ROW.The Rail Enthusiasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08716370779057151520noreply@blogger.com