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If non-contributing states like Indiana and Ohio were deleted off of the station stops for those services that do stop in those states (ie. 'Capital Ltd', 'Lake Shore', and 'Wolverines') it would have little impact on Amtrak revenue , according to the 'TRAINS' Sept2005 article. However it would kill over 600 jobs at the Beech Grove facility near Indiannapolis, which Michigan is trying to wooh as a relocation site. And without Indianapolis and Cincinnati, services like the 'Cardinal' and 'Hoosier State' might disappear.
-------------------- The best part of life is the journey, not the destination. Posts: 497 | From: Clarksburg, West Virginia | Registered: Oct 2003
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To solve a problem like this, if this bill were to be passed, Amtrak could charge a much smaller fee for long distance service (since it is less frequent and harbors fewer passangers). To eliminate the problem of 'skipping' states all/some of these guidelines could be put in place: Amtrak trains must make a station stop every 300 miles, Amtrak must have one stop in every state along a particular route, and Amtrak must stop in cities surpassing 150,000 people in size. Of course this would only be applied to long distance trains, states would have to pay a certain amount (varying on frequences, stations stops, and route length) for shorter, intercity service. This way, at least some service would remain in every state. In addition, since cities falling into the 'freebee' category would not cost the state any money, perhaps they would be inclined on spending the capital on more stops or service. This would also relieve states like Illinois and California who have tons of trains everyday. Of course, this would not apply to the northeast corridor, since it's to Amtrak's profit to run more trains.
Posts: 82 | Registered: Aug 2004
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