In fairness, timing to hit the stations' news was unlikely the goal. It was to go when they felt the pay had the information and all participating parties ready, and in today's world, social media and streaming make old distinctions less meaningful,
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Surprise, surprise.And the house is blocking added funding for Amtrak.
U
Unregistered
Guest
Brandon Bostian age 32 of NYC was the engineer operating the train .
would he have been tested for drugs & Alcohol after the crash.? Sure hope so.
news reports say he gave blood to be tested . And gave his cell phone to police.
Internet comments claim he's a gay activist.
wonder if he may have been speeding in an attempt to kill himself.
And the house is blocking added funding for Amtrak.
Which has absolutely nothing to do with this accident, isn't true and is absolutely deplorable of you to try to make a point of. Amtrak has NEVER had funding CUT. The House doesn't want to give them as much money as they want. Which again, HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS ACCIDENT.
You should be ashamed of yourself for lying about a tragedy to make political points.
Which has absolutely nothing to do with this accident, isn't true and is absolutely deplorable of you to try to make a point of. Amtrak has NEVER had funding CUT. The House doesn't want to give them as much money as they want. Which again, HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS ACCIDENT.
You should be ashamed of yourself for lying about a tragedy to make political points.
From the NY Times:
"In 2008, Congress ordered the installation of what is known as positive train control systems, which can detect an out-of-control, speeding train and automatically slow it down. But because lawmakers failed to provide the railroads access to the wireless frequencies required to make the system work, Amtrak was forced to negotiate for airwaves owned by private companies that is often used in mobile broadband.
Officials said Amtrak had made installation of the congressionally mandated safety system a priority and was ahead of most other railroads around the country.
But the rail system struggled for four years to buy the rights to airwaves in the Northeast Corridor that would have allowed them to turn the system on.
'The transponders were on the tracks,' said one person who attended a Thursday morning briefing for the staff of members of Congress. 'But they also said they weren't operational, because of this ongoing spectrum issue'..."
http://nytimes.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx
Which has absolutely nothing to do with this accident, isn't true and is absolutely deplorable of you to try to make a point of. Amtrak has NEVER had funding CUT. The House doesn't want to give them as much money as they want. Which again, HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS ACCIDENT.
You should be ashamed of yourself for lying about a tragedy to make political points.
Do a little more reading. Amtrak has been underfunded from the start and the Northeast Corridor infrastructure is in terrible shape. That has EVERYTHING to do with this "accident." Sounds like you are the one trying to score political points.
Japan, Chine and the EU have state of the art rail systems. The US rail system is terrible. Congress forces Amtrak continue long distance rail in parts of the country where it is unworkable and denies it needed funding in the Northeast and other corridors where state of the art rail is badly needed.
U
Unregistered
Guest
You are correct Oscar. (And I often see illegal activity by train crews.)
From the NY Times:
"In 2008, Congress ordered the installation of what is known as positive train control systems, which can detect an out-of-control, speeding train and automatically slow it down. But because lawmakers failed to provide the railroads access to the wireless frequencies required to make the system work, Amtrak was forced to negotiate for airwaves owned by private companies that is often used in mobile broadband.
Officials said Amtrak had made installation of the congressionally mandated safety system a priority and was ahead of most other railroads around the country.
But the rail system struggled for four years to buy the rights to airwaves in the Northeast Corridor that would have allowed them to turn the system on.
'The transponders were on the tracks,' said one person who attended a Thursday morning briefing for the staff of members of Congress. 'But they also said they weren't operational, because of this ongoing spectrum issue'..."
http://nytimes.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx
So the FCC dragged its feet. What else is new?
Do a little more reading. Amtrak has been underfunded from the start and the Northeast Corridor infrastructure is in terrible shape. That has EVERYTHING to do with this "accident." Sounds like you are the one trying to score political points.
Japan, Chine and the EU have state of the art rail systems. The US rail system is terrible. Congress forces Amtrak continue long distance rail in parts of the country where it is unworkable and denies it needed funding in the Northeast and other corridors where state of the art rail is badly needed.
Something like $50 billion isn't enough? So now you're shifting your argument from "OMG THEY CUT FUNDING" to "OMG THEY ALWAYS UNDERFUNDED AMTRAK". Never mind that the stretch of rail this accident happened on is owned by Septa.
Seriously, you really look like a ghoul trying to argue this on a radio forum. A despicable ghoul.
That stretch of track is managed and maintained by Amtrak.
Having spent decades riding the various transit systems in this region daily, the conditions are deplorable. Funding has been insufficient across the board. So, too, however, has been investment in the rest of our infrastructure. Roads are a mess, bridges are crumbling, schools are disintegrating. A pox on both their houses when it comes to right vs. left, red vs. blue.
Having spent decades riding the various transit systems in this region daily, the conditions are deplorable. Funding has been insufficient across the board. So, too, however, has been investment in the rest of our infrastructure. Roads are a mess, bridges are crumbling, schools are disintegrating. A pox on both their houses when it comes to right vs. left, red vs. blue.
Check your facts, Raven. I don't know how it works in Bal'mer (and maybe you don't know how it works in Philly). The Northeast Corridor and Main Line track and right of way are owned and operated and maintained by Amtrak. SEPTA pays to run three rail commuter lines over Amtrak's rights of way (Paoli/Thorndale, Wilmington/Newark and Trenton).
U
Unregistered
Guest
No seat belts on trains. And they care about safety ?
Amtrak is really fumbling the ball! They are telling people who want to go to New York from Philly and points South, either to take SEPTA to West Trenton and then a shuttle bus to Trenton, or cross the river (SEPTA subway and transfer to PATCO) and then take NJ Transit's River Line to Trenton. Both are inconvenient and will add a couple of hours (at least) to the trip. This is guaranteed to introduce people to Bolt, Mega-Bus or one of the Chinatown bus services (all a lot cheaper than Amtrak when it's running). The NJ River Line option does have some limited appeal for train geeks: This was part of the original rail route from Philly to NY. The River Line follows the Camden-Perth Amboy Railroad from 1830.
However, when the Congressional Limited derailed at almost the same spot in 1943, the Pennsylvania Railroad rerouted service to a competing line and used the Reading-New Jersey Central (through West Trenton, Hopewell and Belle Mead to Bound Brook) and kept through service running. This connection is even more easily accomplished today with the Center City rail tunnel. The Reading Railroad initially did not join Amtrak and kept their Philly-New York passenger service (The Crusader and The Wall Streeter) running into the early 80s, offering lower fares and in the opinion of many, better service. CSX currently owns this right of way and could be running Amtrak service over it.
However, when the Congressional Limited derailed at almost the same spot in 1943, the Pennsylvania Railroad rerouted service to a competing line and used the Reading-New Jersey Central (through West Trenton, Hopewell and Belle Mead to Bound Brook) and kept through service running. This connection is even more easily accomplished today with the Center City rail tunnel. The Reading Railroad initially did not join Amtrak and kept their Philly-New York passenger service (The Crusader and The Wall Streeter) running into the early 80s, offering lower fares and in the opinion of many, better service. CSX currently owns this right of way and could be running Amtrak service over it.
Check your facts, Raven. I don't know how it works in Bal'mer (and maybe you don't know how it works in Philly). The Northeast Corridor and Main Line track and right of way are owned and operated and maintained by Amtrak. SEPTA pays to run three rail commuter lines over Amtrak's rights of way (Paoli/Thorndale, Wilmington/Newark and Trenton).
I double checked that part. Looks like you're right about that part. Not about anything else. Sorry if I'm seeming too harsh, but this isn't an opportunity for you to get a smoother ride when you take your morning commute. People are dead, and it had absolutely NOTHING to do with lack of funding or "infrastructure".
And fun fact: There are a lot of Ravens fans in Delaware. Of which New Castle County is part of the Philly Metro. Some people there use SEPTA and Amtrak on a regular basis. Just sayin'.
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U
Unregistered
Guest
I double checked that part. Looks like you're right about that part. Not about anything else. Sorry if I'm seeming too harsh, but this isn't an opportunity for you to get a smoother ride when you take your morning commute. People are dead, and it had absolutely NOTHING to do with lack of funding or "infrastructure".
And fun fact: There are a lot of Ravens fans in Delaware. Of which New Castle County is part of the Philly Metro. Some people there use SEPTA and Amtrak on a regular basis. Just sayin'.
The speed control system should have been installed in that area . To protect passengers from engineer error.
Or an engineer who may have been speeding on purpose.
I double checked that part. Looks like you're right about that part. Not about anything else. Sorry if I'm seeming too harsh, but this isn't an opportunity for you to get a smoother ride when you take your morning commute. People are dead, and it had absolutely NOTHING to do with lack of funding or "infrastructure".
And fun fact: There are a lot of Ravens fans in Delaware. Of which New Castle County is part of the Philly Metro. Some people there use SEPTA and Amtrak on a regular basis. Just sayin'.
The speed regulators that weren't installed are part of the "infrastructure." Also the condition of the track and the sharp curve, as well as the bridges that let "thugs" throw rocks at trains.
Not sure what your point is about Wilmington but mostly people there follow the Iggles. It is my understanding that MARC trains on the Penn Line use Amtrak right of way from Perryville to Union Station. The Brunswick and Camden lines use CSX track. SEPTA does own some of the track it uses; MARC commuter rail does not.
Amtrak is really fumbling the ball! They are telling people who want to go to New York from Philly and points South, either to take SEPTA to West Trenton and then a shuttle bus to Trenton, or cross the river (SEPTA subway and transfer to PATCO) and then take NJ Transit's River Line to Trenton. Both are inconvenient and will add a couple of hours (at least) to the trip. This is guaranteed to introduce people to Bolt, Mega-Bus or one of the Chinatown bus services (all a lot cheaper than Amtrak when it's running). The NJ River Line option does have some limited appeal for train geeks: This was part of the original rail route from Philly to NY. The River Line follows the Camden-Perth Amboy Railroad from 1830.
However, when the Congressional Limited derailed at almost the same spot in 1943, the Pennsylvania Railroad rerouted service to a competing line and used the Reading-New Jersey Central (through West Trenton, Hopewell and Belle Mead to Bound Brook) and kept through service running. This connection is even more easily accomplished today with the Center City rail tunnel. The Reading Railroad initially did not join Amtrak and kept their Philly-New York passenger service (The Crusader and The Wall Streeter) running into the early 80s, offering lower fares and in the opinion of many, better service. CSX currently owns this right of way and could be running Amtrak service over it.
They're not fumbling the ball, they're offering the only viable alternative via trains currently available. What happened seven decades ago isn't really applicable now. I've had my trains to NY cancelled and had to resort to alternates similar to this one. Yep, it adds time. But so it goes. Things happen in life.
They're not fumbling the ball, they're offering the only viable alternative via trains currently available. What happened seven decades ago isn't really applicable now. I've had my trains to NY cancelled and had to resort to alternates similar to this one. Yep, it adds time. But so it goes. Things happen in life.
Not everyone is so tolerant of corporate indifference or incompetence. One bad service experience can turn off a customer. One introduction to a good alternative can convert an Amtrak customer to somebody else's customer. Other alternatives were less viable then than now. But the Pennsy was willing to hustle. Amtrak is not. The Amtrak mindset is not unlike the post office - or radio.
One cannot magically make alternatives appear. That's not indifference nor incompetence. It is reality.
The staff hustled like mad to repair the track and had it opened in less than a week. Kudos to them.
The staff hustled like mad to repair the track and had it opened in less than a week. Kudos to them.
One cannot magically make alternatives appear. That's not indifference nor incompetence. It is reality.
The staff hustled like mad to repair the track and had it opened in less than a week. Kudos to them.
The alternatives are there. Always have been. All it would have taken was throwing a few track switches. Not sure why you want to make excuses for bureaucratic incompetence. The Pennsy did it. But that was a real railroad run by real railroaders. Amtrak sux (or maybe you haven't ridden it).
WASHINGTON-NEW YORK
Acela Express 2:50 $267.00
Northeast Regional 3:28 $169.00
Bolt 4:15 $14.00
Mega Bus 4:30 $13.00
Been riding it for years and years. I know that route well, so try again.
For what they have been handed to work with, they do a fine job. The staff I have interacted with has been professional and curteous. But perhaps one receives such respect when one offers it in return. Just a theory.
Throwing switches is not an option to maintain passenger service. One cannot commandeer the other railroads and throw their service off schedule. I really couldn't care less what "The Pennsy" did. Different times. Different realities. Just as the reality now is that during a service disruption many of the Amtrak commuters--not all, I'm not saying that--could make other arrangements for the remainder of the week that their service was disrupted. That is not to say it was not inconvenient. It is to say that when one steps back and looks at the big picture, the inconvenience pales in comparison to what happened out there Tuesday night.
Something tells me the vast, vast majority of people commuting to New York will not be switching to the busses. They have their advantages, they have their disadvantages. But you're going to be hard pressed to find a trend among business commuters of a mass switch, if that was even the option they picked during the disruption.
For what they have been handed to work with, they do a fine job. The staff I have interacted with has been professional and curteous. But perhaps one receives such respect when one offers it in return. Just a theory.
Throwing switches is not an option to maintain passenger service. One cannot commandeer the other railroads and throw their service off schedule. I really couldn't care less what "The Pennsy" did. Different times. Different realities. Just as the reality now is that during a service disruption many of the Amtrak commuters--not all, I'm not saying that--could make other arrangements for the remainder of the week that their service was disrupted. That is not to say it was not inconvenient. It is to say that when one steps back and looks at the big picture, the inconvenience pales in comparison to what happened out there Tuesday night.
Something tells me the vast, vast majority of people commuting to New York will not be switching to the busses. They have their advantages, they have their disadvantages. But you're going to be hard pressed to find a trend among business commuters of a mass switch, if that was even the option they picked during the disruption.
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