Rick Sincere posted recently [1] on Amtrak’s decision to make Charlottesville a stop on it’s way to DC and beyond.
While I personally would like to see more rail travel in the U.S., Rick does a great job of laying out the main reason it is unsuccessful: it’s just not competitive nor cost-effective.
“The aim of the new service is to entice people away from driving to Washington on Route 29. For an individual, however, it is cheaper to travel by car than by train, even with the subsidy.”
Rick explains that even though Virginia taxpayers are subsidizing the cost of the rail service at $96-113 per person, a rail ticket still costs $29…one way. Whereas the average cost for a round-trip in a car is between $28-42, depending on where you park. This means that a traveler still saves nearly $20 on the round-trip by driving themselves.
I enjoy riding on a train as much as anyone. It is my preferred mode of transportation between Washington and New York. (There’s no way you’ll find me driving on the streets of Manhattan.)
Enjoying railroad travel should not, however, blind us to the fact that passenger rail, because it is not economically viable in an open market — that is, in the absence of government subsidies — exists only because of a transfer of wealth from the poor (who, by and large, do not travel by train) and the rich (who like to travel by train because it is the chic thing to do, and they can pretend to be environmentally conscious while doing it).
Of course, Amtrak does have one competitor now – GM.
In related news, the governor just released that more “stimulus” money has been requested fo high-speed rail in northern Virginia.
“Virginia has submitted its second application for funding from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) to develop the I-95 Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor. The application for approximately $1.8 billion would fund 19 projects along the Petersburg to Washington, D.C. section of the Corridor and raise passenger rail speed to up to 90 MPH by 2017.
“With this second round of high speed rail applications, we’re setting the stage for Virginia to achieve an entirely new standard of intercity passenger rail service along I-95,” Governor Kaine said. “Even in the midst of the worst economy in a generation, The Commonwealth is committed to rebalancing transportation options for Virginians, creating jobs, and sustaining our environment.”
“With the completion of the rail projects submitted today, passengers in downtown Richmond will be able to make the trip to Washington, D.C. in less than two hours. The 19 projects will include the construction of 112 track miles, four major bridges, 97 new crossovers, and re-alignment of 82 track miles of curves. Construction on the projects is projected to create nearly 12,200 direct jobs.
“The Commonwealth worked in conjunction with partners CSX, Amtrak, and Virginia Railway Express to complete the application. Virginia’s Congressional delegation, local and regional governments, and business leaders have also offered strong support for the Commonwealth’s rail and transit efforts. More than 20 organizations along the I-95 Corridor have submitted letters and resolutions of support.
“Our experience has been that, when both sides are committed to working together, the resulting joint efforts can clearly demonstrate that freight and intercity passenger rail service can safely co-exist and prosper,” said Jay Westbrook, Assistant Vice President for CSX Passenger and Commuter Operations.
“We’re confident our efforts will demonstrate that federal investment in high speed rail will drive economic growth and transportation solutions,” said Secretary of Transportation Pierce Homer.
“The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provided $8 billion in competitive funding for high speed rail corridors around the country. In accordance with federal requirements, the next application round will include the Hampton Roads component of Virginia’s High Speed Rail Program.
“In August, Governor Kaine announced Virginia’s first high speed rail application for the Arkendale to Powell’s Creek project along the I-95 High Speed Rail Corridor. The $74.8 million project will build 11.4 miles of third track in Stafford and Prince William Counties.”