The way to really sit and wait while a long, lumbering freight train passes by
[Hey Blogger, whiskey tango foxtrot with the posting lately?]
Gee, you can talk me into just about anything--last weekend at the Chicago Green Festival (I biked there! more later) I was talked into actually joining the Midwest High Speed Rail Association. (I was also warned that bringing a bike on an Amtrak route that supposedly allows them and whether or not it can travel fully assembled sometimes depends on the whim of the conductor. Has anyone else ever encountered such a problem?) But hey, I got a bumper sticker for my nonexistant car (not sure I want my bike to say "I'd rather be on a fast train!") and essentially 75% off that awesome poster as part of a festival special. Here's hoping my building's management office doesn't manage to lose it.
You need not point out that the title of this post is actually a play on Metra's slogan while the subject matter of this post is Amtrak because I am already aware of that fact. But Metra's BNSF runs along the same line as Amtrak's Southwest Chief, California Zephyr, and Illinois Zephyr/Carl Sandburg routes, and I have more than once been stuck on a BNSF in the vicinity of Cicero because Metra was obliged to wait while a freight train mosied in front of it to the switching yard there. And somehow I always end up in the same car as an elementary school field trip when that happens. Oy.
So anyway, I've always wondered why endless gondolas of patient, well-behaved corn and coal always get priority over passenger trains that are promised to be faster and less stressful than driving on the expressway. The short answer is they don't, technically, passengers have "preference" over freight. The long answer is--as usual--money.
From Midwest High Speed Rail:
Pricing Amtrak for host railroads - a market-based approach
"... However, Amtrak pays the freights much less than UPS or a coal train does for a time slot on their tracks. So, naturally, the freights are not that excited about Amtrak as a customer. They would rather have customers who pay them more.
"So in the big scheme of things, when one of the host railroads is trying to figure out how to keep their trains moving, if it comes down to an Amtrak train that is paying next to nothing or a coal train that is paying top dollar, most freight railroads are going to keep the coal train moving before the Amtrak train. ..."
I probably shouldn't even mention my seemingly wonderful idea of a tax on misbehaving children (someone will inevitably propose an exorbitant tax on bicycles, which take up less space than some of the strollers I've seen and can quietly mind their own business, thank you), but is there a really good reason why Amtrak couldn't subcontract with UPS to hitch a boxcar or two of cargo to the back of every Amtrak train, charging competitively less than the freight fee to do that, simultaneously (1) allowing Amtrak pay a significantly larger passenger fee and (2) giving the rail companies a good run for all that freight money? If it comes down to the market speaking louder than any legislation, then is there a way to beat them at their own game?
Business school, here I come maybe...
posted by Jennifer @ 12:42 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Be careful what you wish for... Amtrak does haul freight on their cross-country trains. When I took the Southwest Chief home from Los Angeles in 2002, we waited for three hours in the rail yard for Amtrak to add a few cars of mail and Amtrak Express packages. We never recovered, and we were seven hours late by the time we reached Chicago (gory details here). If freight puts the train three hours behind schedule, it isn't worth hauling.
When you consider how much freight is shipped daily, a few cars on the tail of an Amtrak train doesn't make much difference in the marketplace anyway.
I'm not surprised that some Amtrak conductors balk about bikes. I've never heard any horror stories about Amtrak, but I have heard many about Metra.
As for passengers going ahead of freight, I think the federal law only applies to Amtrak. BNSF has agreed to give Metra priority during rush periods, but otherwise, especially on weekends, you're screwed. That's one thing I don't miss about living car-free: the BNSF on a Saturday morning going out to visit my parents (I have a legitimate excuse for driving there now -- we bring the dog along).
And I agree -- tax the heck out of those unruly rugrats. What's even worse is that their tickets are half-price or free, depending on their age.
What David said. (I would have beaten him to the punch, had the comments been activated - not your fault, Jennifer, I know.) Amtrak's foray into freight was a pretty large disaster, and Amtrak Express now is limited to the odd baggage-sized parcel and human remains. Besides, even a fast (100 mph) passenger train offers little to no cost benefit over a slow (40 mph) but cheap freight train or a fast (500 mph) but expensive cargo jet, and the cargo just makes the passengers late.
As for bikes on Amtrak...well, be thankful you can check it as baggage, at least. C'mon, you wouldn't try bring a bike on board an airliner, would you? (Although maybe Amtrak ought to consider giving a discount to people transporting bikes, especially on short-haul routes.)
Well, I didn't know that and now I do. (Grrr, stupid freight causing delays no matter who's hauling it.) Say Ben, when are you going to blog for MHSR? You could report exclusively on my crazy ideas.
I wouldn't try to take my bike on board an airliner because I hate airlines and you know it, but it's done. It's the same as for Amtrak: you have to take pieces of it apart, put it all in a box, pay a fee, check it as baggage, and be prepared to haggle a bit about the policy. I say, if you're going someplace so far away that you have to fly, then it's probably easier to just rent a bike once you get there.
The biggest problem with taking a regular bike on a plane is the cost -- $100-160 roundtrip. Bikes used to go free on international flights, but that changed recently. If you want to start a cyclist on a rant, point out that golf bags do not incur these oversize charges!
If you plan to travel a lot by any mode, your best bet is a quality folding bike such as a Bike Friday. It packs into standard size luggage, avoiding outrageous airline charges (you can even turn the suitcase into a trailer for touring). If you fold it and bag it, you can take it on Amtrak, CTA, or Metra with little or no hassle, even during rush hour. It also fits in the trunk of a car. There are many other brands of folders, but Bike Fridays ride better than most so they are ideal for longer rides (and yes, I own one).
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