Amtrak Guest Rewards - Congress Keeps Amtrak With Reservations

Apparently Amtrak will go on, but it will have to make hay while the sun shines.

http://www.narprail.org/cms/index.php/hotline/more/hotline_732/

Here's a strange stipulation (http://dc.streetsblog.org/2011/11/16/2012-transpo-budget-sustainable-communities-and-hsr-out-tiger-in/#more-118425): "The agreement also includes policy reforms for Amtrak – requiring overtime limits on Amtrak employees to reduce costs, and prohibiting federal funding for routes where Amtrak offers a discount of 50 percent or more off normal peak fares."

So Congress is now micro-managing yield management: fares can't vary more than 50% from peak to trough. Heck, I'm pretty sure that Washington Metrorail fares vary by more, much less local hotels -- I swear I've seen 500% price swings for those. And yet these "free"-market fundamentalists want Amtrak to function "more like a business." :rolleyes:

If you can't line THEIR pockets, then you're not "functioning like a business", the chief characteristics nowadays is that they bribe Congress.

A Democratic Senate and a Democratic President passed and signed this legislation. The blame for the cuts to Amtrak's operating grant and more restrictions rests on their shoulders, too.

Here's a strange stipulation (http://dc.streetsblog.org/2011/11/16/2012-transpo-budget-sustainable-communities-and-hsr-out-tiger-in/#more-118425): "The agreement also includes policy reforms for Amtrak – requiring overtime limits on Amtrak employees to reduce costs, and prohibiting federal funding for routes where Amtrak offers a discount of 50 percent or more off normal peak fares."

So Congress is now micro-managing yield management: fares can't vary more than 50% from peak to trough. Heck, I'm pretty sure that Washington Metrorail fares vary by more, much less local hotels -- I swear I've seen 500% price swings for those. And yet these "free"-market fundamentalists want Amtrak to function "more like a business." :rolleyes:Brilliant. Because having to reduce peak fares and/or limit the the amount of off peak discounting you can do is a great way to increase profits. ^
:confused:

Well, how many fellow FTers called their elected officials to make their voice heard?????? But for a few staunch defenders in both parties, this congress would think nothing of killing Amtrak altogether.

I think Obama is a fan. Unlike some other forms of transportation, money that goes into Amtrak feeds the domestic economy.

Joe Biden is certainly a fan...

Well, how many fellow FTers called their elected officials to make their voice heard?????? But for a few staunch defenders in both parties, this congress would think nothing of killing Amtrak altogether.

Sadly, I didn't. Every Amtrak supporter ought to join the Nat'l Association for RR Passengers (narprail.org)- it does some newsletter updates about developments in Washington so that people can call their representatives when needed about Amtrak.

I don't know about travelers, but fans of the railroad need to belong to lobbying groups. It is hard to have impact outside of one. Every interest group needs to coordinate actions of those supporting the interest. Too much "American individualism" tends to mute the voice heard in Washington.