New Rail Study

[nkp_174]

I suppose the real question would be:
Does the freight railroads want to share their track with passenger trains?

Especially if Amtrak is hauling express business...

Right now, if you want to run a mainline excursion, Amtrak specials are practically the only option. CSX has killed a few excursions in recent times with there unwillingness to even help with deadheads...let alone allowing it to take place on their trackage.

I'm heading up to North Judson for an steam excursion in 2 weeks. That will be my only excursion this year (aside from a visit to Rail Festival 2009 and the Huckleberry Railroad). The only mainline excursion (that I'm aware of) on an eastern class 1 will be the Daylight's trip to Rail Festival and then the return.



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The problem with americans and trains is not something intrinsic to us...it is intrinsic to our geography. I've used the rail services of the UK, SNCF, SBB, OBB, DB, and such...they are predominantly medium-short distance trains. They do not have to deal with distances such as New York to Chicago or Chicago to LA. Trains lose to cars for short hauls...and lose to planes for long distance. Medium distances are the niche for passenger trains. America is dominated by long distances. We lack the population density across most of our nation which is the key ingredient in the foreign successes. Amtrak is strongest in places where it has distances/populations similar Europe/Japan/eastern China/etc...