This is my response that has been mailed with a cover letter to 11 upper midwest Senators and two newspapers. The data or the accompanying text unfortunately is not advantageous all trains and routes. As the data suggests, there are in fact trains which Amtrak probably needs additional financial assistance on. On the other hand, Amtrak has left a number of poorly performing trains untouched, at least for the present. The federal government's goal is to reportedly eliminate all subsidies within 5 years. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= December 19, 1994 Regarding: Amtrak's bias against long distance national passenger train service. From: Dennis Larson, private citizen, Coon Rapids, Minnesota On May 1, 1971 Amtrak began service as America's Passenger Railroad with its mission mandated to operate an intercity network of trains throughout the United States. One of the mandates was that Amtrak not engage in commuter train operations. Today, 23 years later, Amtrak is heavily involved in commuter train operations, and has continued its build up of resources in the Northeast Corridor with more train operations in this area than the rest of the United States combined. After billions of dollars in investment in the corridor, with more planned in the future, Amtrak is making its cuts elsewhere. Amtrak reports that half of its passenger business is in the corridor with half elsewhere. But like Amtrak's handling of the national rail passenger system, its reporting is biased. With minimal calculation based on Amtrak's own figures, a truer picture can be presented. This is what this document is about. According to Amtrak's figures the Northeast Corridor trains (NEC) carried 10,279,000 passengers in FY 1993. The short distance trains (SD) carried 5,616,000 and the long distance (LD) trains carried 5,860,000. Boardings: 10,279,000 NEC 47 percent 5,616,000 SD 25 percent 5,860,000 LD 27 percent ---------- 21,755,000 But these kinds of figures are useful only to local transit bus companies where fares are nearly the same for a distance of a couple blocks or several miles. Intercity buses and airlines use passenger miles as this is a more useful indicator of work done and revenues generated. A passenger mile is one passenger carried one mile. Passenger miles: 1,429,227,000 NEC 23 percent 784,084,000 SD 13 percent 3,971,039,000 LD 64 percent ------------- 6,184,350,000 Train miles, as sited by Amtrak, is what costs them money. 8,943,000 NEC 26 percent 7,083,000 SD 20 percent 18,854,000 LD 54 percent ---------- 34,880,000 Train miles on the SD and NEC trains are comparatively higher than the long distance trains. While Amtrak recognized the disadvantage of the SD trains, it ignored the comparative inefficiency of the NEC trains. During this time of analyzing individual trains for efficiency, Amtrak has cut into frequencies of its most heavily used long distance services. Besides losing passenger business, Amtrak will also lose its mail hauling revenue as a result. Many experienced observers view these reductions in frequency as the predecessor of total long distance route elimination within one year. A better analytical tool for analyzing an individual train's success is not by boardings but by the OCCUPIED SEATS PER TRIP. If 200 passengers get on at New York and 200 get off at Newark just 11 miles away, Amtrak credits the train the same as a Southwest Chief passenger that rides from Chicago to Los Angeles, 2,259 miles distant. To calculate occupied seats per trip, take the total of passenger miles, in the Newark case 11 times 200 equals 2200 passenger miles. Then divide the passenger miles by train miles. If the train operates only to Newark that figures out to 200 occupied seats. If the train operates to Philadelphia, a 91 mile trip, the train operated mostly empty at 24 occupied seats for the entire trip. Calculate this by dividing 2200 by 91. This figure gives an excellent view of a train's success rather than using the number of passengers boarded. Now for some real numbers. Occupied Seats per Trip averages: 159.8 NEC 110.7 SD 210.6 LD As the averages imply, the SD trains carry the lightest average loads. The best SD train carries 169.9 and the worst at 72.3 occupied seats. As shown in the attached chart, Amtrak has indeed eliminated some of these lightly used trains but left others. The NEC trains do better with a range of 354.4 to 54.2. But the bulk of the train miles are the conventional trains at an average of 181.5 versus a LD average of 210.6 occupied seats. This data suggests the fact that there are many NEC conventional trains with comparatively light passenger loads, and the reduction in service should be made here first rather than the long distance services. The corridor trains also account for a larger share of investment in equipment simply because they are standing in terminals for long periods, operating empty, and generally don't operate overnight. A shortage of newer serviceable equipment was also listed as a serious problem by Amtrak. As a whole, the long distance services operate their equipment 24 hours a day and carry passengers over much longer distances. As illustrated, the long distance services utilize their equipment and seating capacity better than Amtrak's conventional corridor services. One of the poorest performers in terms of occupied seats are the Metroliners, at 125.2. Although a premium service catering to the rich and powerful, these trains account for high track maintenance charges because of their high speeds. Conventional, Short Distance and Long Distance trains do not require exceptional expenditures in track maintenance. As the data shows, on average, long distance passenger train services carry loads 32 percent higher than their NEC cousins in the east. Sleeping car accommodations, a lucrative resource for Amtrak, are usually sold out months in advance. There is only one route Amtrak says that makes money, this is Auto Train, an LD train which nets 6 million dollars a year. An obviously successful formula, Amtrak chooses not to duplicate this success even though it has been in operation for over a decade. As someone who follows the rail passenger scene via computer links on Internet and CompuServe, I have documentation spanning several years of Amtrak's low service levels experienced only on long distance services. Thomas Downs mentions quality problems only briefly and dwells the most on airline competition and recent accidents in his sound byte presentations with the media. Amtrak's biggest problems have been within, until recently, they have used an outmoded authoritarian management style. Downs' Total Quality management style apparently is too little too late. I hope these figures give you some food for thought, I encourage others, the media, legislators and ordinary citizens like myself to question Amtrak's past and present practices in national rail transport. Amtrak has much more information at their disposal that they are not making public. I would like to see it, I think the public deserves better information than the sound byte presentations the media has given us during the past week. Finally, in closing I must remind all that Amtrak plans to continue their upgrading project of the NEC at 200 million a year, build an additional station in New York City for an expense of 100 million in federal funds and to purchase over 20 sets of state-of-the-art high speed equipment. All this is for the NEC, a corridor according to rail experts, that also loses money. None of these projects have been scaled back in spite of the fact that many communities, all paying their share of federal funds, will lose their hometown passenger train service. Dennis Larson CompuServe: 75555,705 Internet: dlarson@netcom.com I am a private citizen with an interest and concern in quality rail transportation for the entire United States. I have no connection with any railroad, Amtrak, rail union or rail advocacy group. Formatted for 80 column screens: The original was printed on paper, 135 columns wide. FY 1993 Annual Annual Annual Amtrak Train Train Passenger Passenger Occupied Train Name/Cities Miles Boardings Miles Seats/Tr Class Status NY-Pittsbur 239,000 202,000 40,608,000 169.9 SD OK NY-Alby-Mtl 162,000 86,000 23,848,000 147.2 SD OK S.Diego-LA. 998,000 1,778,000 140,039,000 140.3 SD OK NY-Albny/NF 1,598,000 1,079,000 211,890,000 132.6 SD OK Chi-Detroit 655,000 391,000 75,131,000 114.7 SD OK Sttle-Portl 134,000 94,000 14,418,000 107.6 SD OK Chi-Indiana 142,000 88,000 15,255,000 107.4 SD OK Chi-Carbond 226,000 107,000 22,082,000 97.7 SD OK Chi-Prt Hur 233,000 115,000 22,176,000 95.2 SD OK Oklnd-Baker 893,000 532,000 79,966,000 89.5 SD OK Hiawathas 429,000 411,000 33,785,000 78.8 SD Elim. Chi-St. Lou 733,000 307,000 57,225,000 78.1 SD OK Chi-W. Quin 191,000 82,000 14,644,000 76.7 SD OK P. Marquett 128,000 66,000 9,731,000 76.0 SD Elim. Capitols CA 322,000 278,000 23,286,000 72.3 SD Elim. --------- --------- ------------ 7,083,000 5,616,000 784,084,000 Totaled Avg.............. 110.7 FY 1993 Annual Annual Annual Amtrak Train Train Passenger Passenger Occupied Train Name/Cities Miles Boardings Miles Seats/Tr Class Status NY-Philly 273,000 1,736,000 96,740,000 354.4 NEC OK NEC Convent 5,380,000 5,970,000 976,680,000 181.5 NEC OK Metroliners 2,294,000 1,980,000 287,259,000 125.2 NEC 1 cut Atlantic Ci 599,000 275,000 47,027,000 78.5 NEC Elim. Phil-Harris 397,000 318,000 21,521,000 54.2 NEC Elim. --------- --------- ------------ 8,943,000 10,279,000 1,429,227,000 Totaled Avg.............. 159.8 FY 1993 Annual Annual Annual Amtrak Train Train Passenger Passenger Occupied Train Name/Cities Miles Boardings Miles Seats/Tr Class Status Old Dominio 257,000 367,000 81,204,000 316.0 LD OK Auto Train 617,000 222,000 190,468,000 308.7 LD OK Desert Wind 576,000 173,684,000 301.5 LD Red Silver Mete 1,191,000 464,000 349,280,000 293.3 LD Red Silver Star 1,070,000 432,000 313,423,000 292.9 LD Red Coast Starl 1,015,000 464,000 268,277,000 264.3 LD OK Lake Shore 846,000 345,000 196,242,000 232.0 LD OK Texas Eagle 940,000 223,000 204,237,000 217.3 LD Red Carolinian 347,000 213,000 70,159,000 202.2 LD OK Empire Buil 1,889,000 447,000 379,000,000 200.6 LD Red Cal Zephyr 1,751,000 728,000 336,932,000 192.4 LD OK SW Chief 1,584,000 265,000 303,793,000 191.8 LD OK Sunset Ltd 794,000 148,000 151,106,000 190.3 LD OK Broadway Lt 666,000 207,000 125,245,000 188.1 LD OK Montrealer 307,000 129,000 56,850,000 185.2 LD Eli Crescent/Gu 1,206,000 352,000 220,124,000 182.5 LD Red Capitol Ltd 567,000 173,000 100,164,000 176.7 LD OK City of New 675,000 209,000 110,626,000 163.9 LD OK Cardinal 358,000 121,000 55,931,000 156.2 LD OK Palmetto 549,000 173,000 85,269,000 155.3 LD OK Pioneer 1,186,000 156,948,000 132.3 LD Red River Citie 463,000 178,000 42,077,000 90.9 LD Eli ---------- ---------- ------------- 18,854,000 5,860,000 3,971,039,000 Totaled Avg.............. 210.6 Amtrak has combined boardings for the Desert Wind and Pioneer into the California Zephyr. The trains were combined between Chicago/Salt Lake City. FY 1993 Annual Annual Annual Amtrak Train Train Passenger Passenger Occupied Train Name/Cities Miles Boardings Miles Seats/Tr Class Status NY-Philly 273,000 1,736,000 96,740,000 354.4 NEC OK Old Dominio 257,000 367,000 81,204,000 316.0 LD OK Auto Train 617,000 222,000 190,468,000 308.7 LD OK Desert Wind 576,000 173,684,000 301.5 LD Reduced Silver Mete 1,191,000 464,000 349,280,000 293.3 LD Reduced Silver Star 1,070,000 432,000 313,423,000 292.9 LD Reduced Coast Starl 1,015,000 464,000 268,277,000 264.3 LD OK Lake Shore 846,000 345,000 196,242,000 232.0 LD OK Texas Eagle 940,000 223,000 204,237,000 217.3 LD Reduced Carolinian 347,000 213,000 70,159,000 202.2 LD OK Empire Buil 1,889,000 447,000 379,000,000 200.6 LD Reduced Cal Zephyr 1,751,000 728,000 336,932,000 192.4 LD OK SW Chief 1,584,000 265,000 303,793,000 191.8 LD OK Sunset Ltd 794,000 148,000 151,106,000 190.3 LD OK Broadway Lt 666,000 207,000 125,245,000 188.1 LD OK Montrealer 307,000 129,000 56,850,000 185.2 LD Elim. Crescent/Gu 1,206,000 352,000 220,124,000 182.5 LD Reduced NEC Convent 5,380,000 5,970,000 976,680,000 181.5 NEC OK Capitol Ltd 567,000 173,000 100,164,000 176.7 LD OK NY-Pittsbur 239,000 202,000 40,608,000 169.9 SD OK City of New 675,000 209,000 110,626,000 163.9 LD OK Cardinal 358,000 121,000 55,931,000 156.2 LD OK Palmetto 549,000 173,000 85,269,000 155.3 LD OK NY-Alby-Mtl 162,000 86,000 23,848,000 147.2 SD OK S. Diego-LA 998,000 1,778,000 140,039,000 140.3 SD OK NY-Abny/N.F 1,598,000 1,079,000 211,890,000 132.6 SD OK Pioneer 1,186,000 156,948,000 132.3 LD Reduced Metroliners 2,294,000 1,980,000 287,259,000 125.2 NEC 1 cut Chi-Detroit 655,000 391,000 75,131,000 114.7 SD OK Sttle-Portl 134,000 94,000 14,418,000 107.6 SD OK Chi-Indiana 142,000 88,000 15,255,000 107.4 SD OK Chi-Carbond 226,000 107,000 22,082,000 97.7 SD OK Chi-Port Hu 233,000 115,000 22,176,000 95.2 SD OK River Citie 463,000 178,000 42,077,000 90.9 LD Elim. Oakland-Bak 893,000 532,000 79,966,000 89.5 SD OK Hiawathas 429,000 411,000 33,785,000 78.8 SD Elim. Atlantic Ci 599,000 275,000 47,027,000 78.5 NEC Elim. Chi-St. Lou 733,000 307,000 57,225,000 78.1 SD OK Chi-W.Quinc 191,000 82,000 14,644,000 76.7 SD OK P.Marquette 128,000 66,000 9,731,000 76.0 SD Elim. Capitols CA 322,000 278,000 23,286,000 72.3 SD Elim. Phi-Harrisb 397,000 318,000 21,521,000 54.2 NEC Elim. ---------- --------- ------------- 34,880,000 21,755,000 6,184,350,000 Totaled Avg.............. 177.3 Amtrak has combined boardings for the Desert Wind and Pioneer into the California Zephyr. The trains were combined between Chicago/Salt Lake. NEC=Northeast Corridor, New York-Boston, New York-Washington, New York-Harrisburg, New Haven-Springfield, and Boston via Inland Route SD=Short Distance LD=Long Distance Source of Train miles, Passenger boardings, Passenger Miles, Train Miles, Amtrak as printed in Trains Magazine, August 1994 Occupied Seat calculations: Dennis Larson, on Lotus 1-2-3 Source of Status: Amtrak, as reported by AP and Reuters.