Faster trains to begin carrying passengers as Amtrak’s monopoly falls
https:// www.washingtonpost.com /transportation/2023/08/30/amtrak-brightline-high-speed-rail/ Faster trains to begin carrying passengers as Amtrak’s monopoly falls
Article title is a little weird.
Wtf is with that phrasing? Amtrak's "monopoly" and "grip"?
Amtrak is the only one left because passenger rail service was unprofitable without federal assistance.
15Yeah talk about inflammatory writing. They took over because the private sector didn't want to, now the private sector is figuring out how to make it profitable and they want it back.
Sounds like they want profit but not the risk
9It's worth noting several private operators kept the lights on for a few years. I believe the Rio Grande's main remaining service was to some ski destinations, and the Southern continued to run the Crescent.
Most others were all to eager to toss off a fiscal albatross.
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I like the idea of more trains, but Amtrak is not the bad guy here.
11amtrak is not a monopoly, it's owned by the people
5Lol, "As Amtrak's monopoly fails"
USPS' monopoly fails as Fedex market share grows...
5Silent Tristero smiles
2
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Amtrak’s singular grip on transporting U.S. rail passengers is slipping as private companies, states and the federal government look to fast trains as environmentally friendly alternatives to traffic-clogged highways, while developers promise speeds rivaling those in Europe and Asia.
Launching with no federal help, the modern debut of private passenger rail connecting two major metropolitan areas will come to fruition when Brightline riders arrive in Orlando from downtown Miami.
The test case for the U.S.’s passenger rail ambitions is taking place in car-dominant South Florida, where a gleaming station has transformed a long-overlooked Miami neighborhood three miles from the southern terminus of Interstate 95.
Its rail cars, built by German industrial conglomerate Siemens and operated with diesel-electric locomotives on each end, come with features missing in many of Amtrak’s trains — some of which are 50 years old — including wide leather seats, an abundance of power outlets and strong WiFi.
In Texas, a plan for a train connecting Dallas and Houston in less than 90 minutes has been slow to progress amid challenges in an environmental review, opposition from landowners and, more recently, a leadership exodus at the company developing the line.
The 265-mile, electrified rail line from Las Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga, where it would connect to downtown Los Angeles via commuter train, is estimated to cost $12 billion — three times the price tag envisioned in the mid-2000s.
The original article contains 2,815 words, the summary contains 231 words. Saved 92%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!
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Hope it's better grade separated than Sunrail, which even has a website dedicated to track how often the Sunrail train hits Florida man.
1This is the best summary I could come up with:
Amtrak’s singular grip on transporting U.S. rail passengers is slipping as private companies, states and the federal government look to fast trains as environmentally friendly alternatives to traffic-clogged highways, while developers promise speeds rivaling those in Europe and Asia.
Launching with no federal help, the modern debut of private passenger rail connecting two major metropolitan areas will come to fruition when Brightline riders arrive in Orlando from downtown Miami.
The test case for the U.S.’s passenger rail ambitions is taking place in car-dominant South Florida, where a gleaming station has transformed a long-overlooked Miami neighborhood three miles from the southern terminus of Interstate 95.
Its rail cars, built by German industrial conglomerate Siemens and operated with diesel-electric locomotives on each end, come with features missing in many of Amtrak’s trains — some of which are 50 years old — including wide leather seats, an abundance of power outlets and strong WiFi.
In Texas, a plan for a train connecting Dallas and Houston in less than 90 minutes has been slow to progress amid challenges in an environmental review, opposition from landowners and, more recently, a leadership exodus at the company developing the line.
The 265-mile, electrified rail line from Las Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga, where it would connect to downtown Los Angeles via commuter train, is estimated to cost $12 billion — three times the price tag envisioned in the mid-2000s.
The original article contains 2,815 words, the summary contains 231 words. Saved 92%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!
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