Originally Posted by
NovaEngr
I was responding to your claim that PA taxpayers are subsidizing rides on the Keystone Service between Trenton and New York. They are not. The portion of the Keystones between Philadelphia and New York is fully funded by Amtrak.
The operation of the Keystones between Philadelphia and Harrisburg is state supported with the target being 85% of the operating loss of the service being paid by the state, and 15% from the Amtrak (federal) budget.
Did I not hear that starting in federal fiscal year 2015 (10/1/15-9/30/16) any service carrying a state subsidy LOST its federal subsidy? There sure was a monthly pass fare bump up corresponding to that time. Hard to imagine the prime commuting trains on Keystone carry any operating loss, given how tough finding a seat can be. Now middle of the day or the 6:40PM departure out of HAR - another story. Also have you SEEN the lines at 30th Street Station to get on ANY Keystone westbound?!?! Caramba! And a sizable number of those get off at a SEPTA-served station near Philly.
Bottom line - while the new AGR may indeed be NEC-centric, it really screws those of us who use the NEC's little brother, the Keystone, and we who commute to, and work for, the state government in Harrisburg, are the WRONG people to tick off. Jus' sayin'. Many of Amtrak's best friends in the PA legislature are AGR members, who pretty much use exclusively the Keystone, except for fund raisers in New York with Wall Streeters. Food for thought.