Organization: Penn State University
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 10:29:19 EDT
From: <CSS3@psuvm.psu.edu>
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Amtrak train from Chicago to Florida planned?
 <1992Aug19.024247.6210@hubcap.clemson.edu>

  In regards to the discussion about a proposed Amtrak train from Florida to
Chicago ---

  Amtrak released a study dated December 1990 on this very possibility. It
seems the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and some Congressmen from that state
have been lobbying for such a route for a long time. Although originally
Amtrak said their study would not identify a preferred route, it became
apparent in the study that Amtrak prefers a routing of Chicago-Evansville-
 Nashville-Chattanooga-Atlanta-Macon-Waycross-Jacksonville. the study also
looked at a route of Chicago-Indianapolis-Cincinnati-Lexington-Chattanooga-
 Atlanta-Macon-Valdosta-Jacksonville. The study concluded that the latter
route would not be preferable because it would involve two to three hours
longer running time than the CSX route via Evansville. The report also said
that trains might be delayed near Chattanooga where NS has a yard
-- the deButts Yard -- and yard engine frequently use the mainline in this
 are. NS recommended against operating passenger train through this congested
 area -- which is also the site of interlockings at Boyce, Citgo Jct. and
Brown (and an intersection with the Atlanta line).

   I might note that Amtrak ruled out using any of the original Floridian
  routes through Louisville. The original route between Indianapolis and
 Louisville is only maintained to 30 mph and contains a lot of old track. The
 line is also unsignaled -- which is fine for Conrail's twice a day traffic
  on the line. North of Indianapolis, the former Floridian route has been
  removed north of Winamac. The line used by the Floridian when it bit the dust
 in October 1979 -- the old Monon via Lafayette and Bloomington -- still exists
 but CSX has allowed the portion south of Bloomington to deteriorate. In fact
   this past summer CSX began diverting its remaining trains on the route
  from Greencastle, Ind. onto the Conrail main to Terre Haute and thence south
  to Evansville. A local still serves Bloomington, but south of Bloomington the
 track is no longer used by CSX. Soo Line still has twice a day service between
   Bedford and Louisville, though. Bottom line -- neither old Floridian route
   is in any shape to host a passenger train.
  The City of Louisville suggested the train could be run off CSX at Princeton,
 Ind. and then via NS to the Falls City. But Amtrak rejected this suggestion
  due to slow running time, the need to lengthen circuitry on the route, etc.

   Amtrak also said it does not have equipment on hand at present to operate a
  Florida to Chicago train. It wants the states through which the train would
  operate to pay the cost of the equipment -- which Amtrak estimates to be
  between $150 to $175 million. The equpment would be Superliners.  Amtrak
 also estimates it needs $52 million in capital improvements including
signaling, terminal improvements, stations, etc. It noted stations along the
line are virtually non-existent for the most part.
     the bottom line is that Amtrak estimates the cost of the train to require
  a subsidy of between $18 million and $20.8 million. This is higher than any
 other current long-distance train, but the report said the subsidy need should
 diminish over time.

    As indicated above, Amtrak wants the states to be served by this train to
 pick up the lions share of its costs. Either through state subsidies -- i.e.
 making it a 403B train, or somehow pressuring Congress to appropriate
 additional funds to make the train possible. I haven't heard anything recently
  about which states have put up money and which have not. But I do know that
  not all states have plunked down the cash yet. The interest in the train has
  varied. Atlanta is really pushing the train hard and has held conferences and
  meetings and so forth. Likewise, the folks in Evansville have jumped on the
 bandwagon and pushed for the train. they even got an influential state
  legislator in Indiana to put into an appropriations bill a line item to pay
  the Hoosier State's share of the funds for the train. That was the first time
 the Indiana General Assembly has ever appropriated funds for a passenger train
  operated by Amtrak.

   I don't recall the Amtrak report put a timetable on launching the train, but
 it will be years away -- if ever. For one thing, Amtrak has to wait until its
 current order of Superliners is built. Secondly, there is the matter of
  funding. Word I've heard is that Amtrak for political reasons really wants to
   meets its goal of self-sufficiency by the year 2000. Taking on new trains
  such as a a Florida to Chicago route would not do much to help Amtrak meet
the goal -- or at least appear to be meeting the goal. It seems to me that
 rounding up the kind of financial support from the states that Amtrak wants
  would be a tough thing to do -- particularly in an era when the budgets of
  most states are stressed to the breaking point.

    It's too bad the original Floridian was never routed through Atlanta.
  Amtrak officials said at the time the train wouldn't lose so much money
if it could serve Atlanta. But that could not be worked out.

craig sanders
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