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Washington, D.C.—The Board of Directors of the National Association of Railroad Passengers, meeting in Washington, DC, approved a resolution urging Amtrak to restore the New Orleans-Orlando segment of the Sunset Limited now that CSX tracks have been restored to a higher standard than existed before Hurricane Katrina.
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There is still 'a long and winding road" ahead before a possible "Sunset East" restoral.
Simply because a rail passenger advocacy group issues a press release does not restore the train.
Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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Exactly-- it's more like, now we can *talk* about the steps necessary in order to someday get the Sunset to a point where it could quite possibly return to being hours late. Someday. Maybe.
(It's not that I don't have faith in NARP; I just have less faith in the negotiating skills of a crippled Amtrak board...)
Posts: 108 | From: Culver City, CA, US | Registered: Oct 2004
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I hope the Sunset east of NO will be back before November 2006! We want to visit son/grandson Jeremy at Ft. Hood before he leaves for Iraq in Nov. Need a train to Killeen, Tex.
Posts: 133 | From: Florida, U.S.A. | Registered: May 2004
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1. With budget cuts on the way, I doubt this plan will get funding. However if it did pass, the plan is to move the tracks north of I-10. So service would still be possible.
Posts: 562 | From: Beaumont Texas | Registered: Jul 2005
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I just want it back to ORL just long enough for my family and I to take a vacation to the Walt Disney World Resort on the Sunset. Also there is a MAJOR increase of ridership 56 people boarded yesterdays #1 to LA! And this WASN'T a tour Group! So now with gas prices going up and up the train will once again be a reliable method of tranportation. I Also found out from a source at the station here that the Sunset will get it's Sightseers back at the end of next month! There were just being turned into the Lounges used by the Builder. They AND the baggage cars should be back for the start of the Peak summer season. For those who don't know the Sunset only gets it's baggages back for peak seasons only for shipments and demand.
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Hey Sunset, That's a very valid point, but I believe those 56 people are not all new to Amtrak because gasoline is "too expensive." Those large volumes of people are riding trains because it's the end of May when travel starts to pick up for the summer. In fact, last saturday began the Explore America summer (on-peak) fare period due to elevated demand.
If gasoline was "too expensive" why did I walk by someone sitting in the V8 Grand Cherokee, idling in the parking lot on a 65-degree sunny day with the windows rolled up, go into the mini-mall, get my mail, and walk out past the same truck still idling three minutes later, then get back on my bike and finish riding the 900 feet to the townhouse complex where I live? It is my belief and opinion (thus separated from factual information) that it is going to take a lot more than three bucks a gallon in May to change people's habits, attitudes, and standard practices. I'm going to repeat the process now, actually *walk* to get the mail. Excuse me. If the boogeyman gets me, give all my models to MD.
Posts: 391 | From: Schenectady | Registered: Jan 2002
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