We were promised a 3 ½ hour trip from Norfolk
to Washington D.C.
State officials said we would arrive at the Capitol just in
time for coffee and croissants.
Not so, apparently.
The latest update has the train leaving at 4:50am and
arriving in DC at 9:44am.
You do the math.
That’s more than five hours.
But we were promised 3 ½ hours.
Too bad.
You get what you ask for.
Did you think promises would be kept?
Maybe the train has to stop and let freight traffic pass.
Maybe Amtrak isn’t as efficient as they say they are.
Whatever the case, it boils down to a longer trip from Norfolk to Richmond (or
really Staple Mills, five miles from
downtown Richmond)
and DC.
We were also promised a one-way ticket price to DC of $38.
Amtrak set one-way ticket prices, which went on sale Aug.
30, from Norfolk to the following cities: Washington, D.C., $38; Philadelphia, $51; New York,
$63; Boston, $73
Now, according to Virginia Dept. of Rail and Transportation
spokeswoman, Amanda Reidelbach, if you booked two weeks in advance, the ticket
price was $38.
But because of intense demand, the price will rise to $92,
if you haven’t booked your ticket in advance.
Could Amtrak have mentioned this very simple fact in
September when the initial ticket prices went on sale?
Is Amtrak, funded by taxpayer dollars, beholden to the
public?
Or maybe this passenger train is a bad idea, supported by
public officials blinded by visions of glory or hoodwinked by rail advocates.
Comments by Brad Schwartz, CEO of Monarch Bank, as expressed
in the Nov. 10 issue of Inside Business Article, illustrate the reality (or
delusion of ) of passenger rail.
“Passenger rail died due to the advent of the auto in the
50s and the convenience it provides. Not sure much has changed.”
“I have not heard one person even talk about it,” he said.
“With our multi-site travel to locations in Richmond
and Northern Virginia periodically, I would
doubt our employees would use it for business travel.”
So says one of the region’s top business leaders.
What other stops are included en route to DC besides Richmond? I've heard folks mention Petersburg. If so, it seems like some of those places should be cut out of the route. They aren't likely to add a lot of passengers and they already have train service.
ReplyDeleteThe question about whether the train service is needed is easily answered: number of traincars for the initial trip was increased by 50% to accomodate the tremendous demand. Whether $92 is the right price is a question of supply v. demand going forward. Both the number of tickets sold and the increased price show that there is a huge demand for rail service to DC.
ReplyDeleteYes, given the uncertainties of tunnel traffic, there will be sustainable demand. But don't expect service to be above sub-par. After the initial excitement fades, the trip to DC will still be miserable. And it's possible that the local economy will be worse off. The $92 sucked out of the local market will be lost in the federal black hole.
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