People sharing the proposed Amtrak route map like it's the next Shinkansen overlook the fact that half the current network is Amtrak-branded bus service. Once the vote is done maybe they'll get some doilies for the seats, or stronger locks to keep people from using the bathroom
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Replying to @Pinboard
Huh? Which segments on that map are you discussing that are bus services? The new map is not super impressive and Amtrak runs bus services, but I didn’t see much on that map marked existing which doesn’t correspond to a train service. And most of the bus network is missing.
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Replying to @Pinboard
Ah yes. I’m often outraged when my national train network announces plans to try and improve their service. The gall of them to try and change their existing service when their existing service is bad. Social media takes are so insightful these days. :)
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Replying to @djcapelis
Amtrak can't even run slow trains, it should be replaced with a modern rail service modeled on any of the two dozen other countries that do this right.
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Replying to @Pinboard
Great, how would you like to do that? New trainsets? Different track? Management transplant? Completely destroying our government procurement and project management process and rebuilding it from the ground up preferably as part of this new infrastructure bill?
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Replying to @djcapelis
Some combination of regulatory reform (so that modern lighter trains can legally run on US track) and a management transplant at Amtrak, preferably foreign experts
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Replying to @Pinboard
The FRA regulations sure would be a nice change. I’ve seen the latter influence a few domestic rail projects without much impact and have become softly more convinced our problems are of our own making in systemic way beyond our domestic rail managers being somehow uniquely bad.
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Replying to @djcapelis @Pinboard
(BART is arguably an interesting system because it is one of the systems that most decided that US rail norms could just go away not influence or be relevant anything and we’ve seen that cause a different set of fascinating outcomes.)
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Replying to @djcapelis @Pinboard
(I will agree I’m definitely not excited about domestic airline folks taking control of Amtrak.)
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Since you're kind enough to engage me seriously, I will be serious too. The idea of expanding and growing the network (as presented) seems incompatible with real progress on having really modern passenger rail, which would have to take place on a small high-traffic test corridor
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Replying to @Pinboard @djcapelis
I would like the agency to be run by foreign experts (at least for a while) just so the people at the top have expectations that aren't based on the terrible status quo, but what is achievable with 2021 technology. At some point there has to be a clean break and decision to build
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Replying to @Pinboard
This is the goal of the CSHRA in many ways. Foreign experts are definitely involved but US policies tends to make it extra hard for them to run the project outright.
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