Question: Everyone these days has a soft spot for
nostalgia. Do you think if the industry
designed passenger trains to resemble their steam powered predecessors (but
with modern mechanicals), people could fall in love with the rails again thus
increasing passenger business?
Answer: Since this forum is primarily aimed at
answering questions or addressing issues from a trainmaster’s perspective, I’m
obliged to say that, as a trainmaster, I wouldn't really spend any time
thinking about this issue as it doesn't have any bearing on the freight rail
operations I’m responsible for.
Having
said that, I believe such a concept, while certainly creative and intriguing,
would have such limited and diminishing appeal that it would not be cost
effective. The huge majority of people
who travel by train do so for purely practical purposes of transportation. Only a small fraction of passenger rail
travelers choose the mode for nostalgic or purely enjoyment related factors. Even at that, the number of folks (Baby
Boomers and older) who harbor romantic notions of passenger rail’s halcyon days
is dwindling. Passenger rail is a
business that must attract enough ridership to sustain at least meager profitability. Four decades of Amtrak experience (and two
decades of dramatically declining ridership before that) have shown that, with
a few exceptions (such as the Northeast Corridor and several routes in
California), passenger rail in the US cannot operate profitably as a
whole. The US may choose to continue
federal subsidies to keep long-distance passenger operations in place (I don’t
see long-distance passenger operations ever being profitable), but most of the
near-term investment in passenger rail is going to go to traffic corridors
where trains can truly compete on a cost, convenience, and reliability standpoint
with other modes (planes, cars, buses, etc.).
Thanks
for posing the question. I hope to see
some other thoughts on the matter in the comments below.
Say
safe out there. Here we go!
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