Tag: Amtrak

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Amtrak aiming to have states pick up operating expenses for short-haul routes

Amtrak aiming to have states pick up operating expenses for short-haul routes

As Amtrak has been recording record ridership on its core routes, federal budget belt-tightening has forced the transit agency to engage the states in cost-sharing measures for some of its smaller lines. However; this also serves an opportunity for some lines to be upgraded with enhanced infrastructure thus enabling some routes to operate at higher speeds. More from the New York Times:

The railroad has traditionally subsidized some local routes, while leaving others up to the states to support, but now state governments will have to pay for all local routes of less than 750 miles in a state. The Northeast line, Amtrak’s moneymaker, is not included. If all the states chip in, Amtrak officials expect revenue to increase by about $85 million a year, which would shrink its chronic deficit.

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Should the FRA allow Amtrak to use lighter passenger trains?

Should the FRA allow Amtrak to use lighter passenger trains?.

Amtrak has historically been mandated by Congress to do all sorts of things that it otherwise would not willingly do on its own (i.e. run long distance routes to nowhere), but they are currently working to get the FRA to remove a regulation that would reduce its costs for operations and expansion. More from Slate:

Amtrak is going to push to get the Federal Rail Administration to change the safety regulations that force its passenger trains to be much heavier than the ones used in Europe and Japan. Relief from this rules has three kinds of advantages. One is that lighter trains use less fuel and thus are cheaper to operate. A second is that lighter trains can accelerate faster, making trips shorter.

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Amtrak to use iPhones as ticket scanners

Amtrak to use iPhones as ticket scanners

Amtrak is upgrading its ticketing system to utilize iPhones. The system is not only designed to make ticketing easier for train riders but also designed to give train operators better information on passenger counts between stations. The iPhone also contains a special app that alerts the train engineers about repair services or to handle passengers needing handicap assistance. More at the New York Times:

Amtrak joins a growing number of businesses that are using mobile devices to improve operations. Some pilots are using iPads to replace flight manuals in the cockpit, a few police departments are experimenting with using iPhones to identify suspects, and doctors are using iPads to access patient records and X-ray charts.

A digitized check-in process for trains seems long overdue in a world of online concert tickets and flight reservations. But the industry faces a particular challenge in that passengers hop on and off at different platforms at different times, unlike at an airport, where people check in at one gateway to board a flight, and then stay there until the flight arrives.