Time for Amtrak to Rebuild Long-Distance Business Line
New Rolling Stock, Increased Frequencies, and Service That is Reliable and Easy to Use Could Attract New Generation of Travelers
There is a long-running debate that stretches from rail fan bull sessions to Amtrak executive suites about which kind of trains represent the future of U.S. passenger rail. Should Amtrak develop short-haul corridor-type services or should it also commit to long-distance trains replete with sleeping cars, diners and lounges?
Actually, it isn’t much of a debate. Amtrak management clearly has come down on the side of short hauls. It runs almost the same number of long-distance routes today as it did when it commenced operations in 1971.
Over the years it has annulled several unsuccessful long-distance routes. Who remembers the National Limited? The Mountaineer? The Desert Wind? Amtrak even consigned the one-time flagship of the Pennsylvania Railroad, the Broadway Limited, to the history books.
Amtrak’s last new long-distance train was the Auto Train added in 1983. Its long-distance rolling stock is older today than the cars it inherited from the private railroads were in the early 1970s. They sorely need to be replaced. But the railroad is just in the planning stages for a new long-distance fleet, and the procurement team reportedly was just laid off.
Our passenger rail system needs both long-haul and corridor type services. It is not an either or proposition.
On the other hand, Amtrak has added short-haul routes around the country and increased frequencies on those still running May 1, 1971. Today there are multiple runs between Washington and Roanoke, Norfolk and Newport News, VA. Also passenger service has been restored to places like Portland, ME, and Burlington, VT. Some California routes have more than a dozen runs in each direction.
This is not surprising given that most of these routes are state supported, which means Amtrak can direct more of its annual Congress appropriation toward capital improvements rather than operating subsidies. Of course, this also means state legislatures decide which trains will continue to run.
More corridor services are in the works. The Amtrak Connects Us strategic vision includes nearly 40 new short-haul routes to be launched by 2035. This summer, twice-daily service will commence between New Orleans, LA, and Mobile, AL, on the Mardi Gras line and the Pennsylvanian will gain a second frequency between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, PA. In addition, a groundbreaking was held last week for a line extension to Christiansburg, VA.
Only a handful of short-haul routes operate with just a single frequency. The opposite holds true for the long-distance trains. Two long-distance routes, the Sunset Limited, between New Orleans and Los Angeles, and the Cardinal, between New York and Chicago via Cincinnati, run just three times a week in each direction.
Long-distance trains have many issues that affect their bottom line and discourage ridership. They operate over major freight routes and are often delayed several hours because of congestion. Fully staffed dining cars and multiple sleeping car and coach attendants translate into higher labor costs.
Aging equipment is prone to breakdowns. If a locomotive fails in a remote location several hours can pass before relief arrives. In addition, with just one train a day some stops have to be made in the middle of the night. Who wants to step off a train in Cleveland at 3 am? Lastly many long-distance runs have no connecting trains at stations along the route.
Not surprisingly, most long-distance lines hemorrhage red ink. In some cases the loss per passenger runs to several hundred dollars. Critics charge that for these routes it would be cheaper for Amtrak to give passengers an airline ticket than to continue running the trains.
However, some long-distance train advocates contend Amtrak allocates corporate overhead using a formula that makes losses look higher than they really are. Other supporters note long-distance trains are highly productive and generate far more passenger miles than the shorter runs.
For someone with the time and money, a ride on an Amtrak long-distance train provides a leisurely way to get from point A to point B with spectacular scenery at no extra charge. But in many rural locations Amtrak is a lifeline that provides the only available public transportation.
Our passenger rail system needs both long-haul and corridor type services. It is not an either or proposition. As passenger train advocate Carl Fowler pointed out in a lengthy post on Facebook if only corridor services were offered the rail system would consist of several disconnected isolated regional networks.
Long-distance trains are the backbone of the rail system that connects the disparate regional routes. They also make it possible for people to travel between hundreds of communities around the country. For example, someone getting off the Southwest Chief or Empire Builder in Chicago could make connections to Detroit, Cleveland, Boston, New York, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Washington and dozens of smaller cities along the way.
However, these trains need to be vastly improved and expanded to become relevant for a larger part of the traveling public. First and foremost, freight railroads need to be held accountable for delays. No more putting a passenger train on a siding for hours to let a fleet of overly long freight trains pass. On-time rates should be on par with other Amtrak services around the country.
Amtrak also needs new rolling stock ASAP to re-equip its long distance trains and expand service. After 40-plus years in service the Superliner I and Amfleet II cars are getting long in the tooth. With more cars Amtrak could run longer trains and add second frequencies to all long-distance routes. That would reduce the need for passengers to board or get off trains between midnight and 7 am.
Further, Amtrak needs to grow its long distance network to serve markets people want to visit by train but can’t. A new direct service between the Midwest and Florida should be a no brainer. People have been calling for it since the original Floridian was discontinued in 1979. Here are a few other ideas:
Run an overnight train between New York and Columbus, OH, with continuing service to Dayton, Cincinnati, and, possibly, Indianapolis.
Extend the Crescent from New Orleans to Houston and add a section to be cut off at Meridian, MS, for Dallas and Fort Worth.
Restore the Southern Belle route between Kansas City and New Orleans with connections to the Texas Eagle at Texarkana.
Create a long-distance hub at Denver Union Stations with routes radiating out to Seattle, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Dallas, Houston, El Paso, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. (The California Zephyr, which runs to Chicago and Emeryville, CA, would, of course, be part of this.)
New routes and increased frequencies will improve connectivity and make passenger rail more accessible. Travelers will use a service that is dependable, convenient, and comfortable. The investment will run to tens of billions of dollar but that would be a fraction of what it would likely cost to build high-speed rail lines like those in Europe and Asia. Most important, trains could be running within a few years instead of a few decades.
Many who follow the passenger rail industry anticipated that the President’s budget proposal for FY 2026 would greatly reduce or even zero out funding for Amtrak. That does not appear to be happening. Long distance trains will continue to run in the United States for the foreseeable future, which is good news for those who ride them. Now is the time for Amtrak to plan for more trains and more routes so more Americans can ride.
This is not the year to expect help in funding a new effort to expand the national rail system. No support from the elected officials who control the budget. The best we can hope for, in my opinion, is state sponsored growth, with a partnership with Amtrak.
The freight railroads have to host Amtrak by law, but Amtrak isn't willing to pay them for the expeditious service they provide to the hotshot intermodal shippers like JB Hunt. Hence, Amtrak trains aren't a priority when a network gets congested. It's a pay to play system; the freights have to play, but Amtrak doesn't want to pay.