WASHINGTON — Amtrak may add cars to its Acela, the fastest US passenger train, and raise fares as riders fill coaches on the Washington-to-Boston route, chief executive officer Alexander Kummant said.
Demand for the high-speed service also may spur Amtrak to levy a surcharge to help buy additional equipment, Kummant said in an interview at the Washington headquarters of the national passenger railroad.
"We're out of capacity," said Kummant. "Most people know that's a pretty tough ticket" because seats are hard to find except at "way-off-peak" times.
The Acela's top speed of 150 miles per hour is drawing travelers who want to avoid rising airfares and highway congestion in the Northeast. Acela ridership climbed 7.7 percent in the first 10 months of fiscal 2008, part of Amtrak's 11 percent gain.
Amtrak started Acela service in December 2000. Each train consists of two locomotives and six passenger cars, and can make the trip between New York and Washington in 2 hours, 28 minutes.
Amtrak would consider lengthening the Acela by adding "a couple additional cars" to the trains, Kummant said, a process he said would come "with difficulty."
The trains now run with an engine at each end. While that step speeds turnarounds when the Acela finishes its route and then reverses direction, reconfiguring trains to add coaches would be "very difficult and very time consuming," spokeswoman Karina Romero said. Amtrak also doesn't have any spare Acela passenger cars, so extending the trains would require buying more custom-built coaches, she said.
The trains are made by Bombardier Inc. and Alstom SA. Amtrak can operate its full Acela schedule of 32 weekday departures with as many as two of its 20 trains out of service, Romero said.
Acela ridership rose 20 percent to 3.19 million passengers in the 2007 fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, Amtrak spokesman Cliff Black said.
Revenue from Acela fares was $403.5 million, or 27 percent of Amtrak's ticket sales. Acela tickets can be more than twice as expensive as those for slower, so-called regional trains between Washington and New York.
Amtrak adjusts prices much like airlines do, trying to match fares to supply and demand, Kummant said.
Trains are "running full and the demand is there," said David R. Johnson, deputy director of the National Association of Railroad Passengers consumer group. "They have been under pressure to act like a business, and this is how private business acts."
Higher fares alone wouldn't produce enough money to expand the Acela, for which Amtrak agreed to pay $800 million in 1996 for 20 trains and maintenance. Such a step would require more funding for Amtrak, a "political football" that has struggled for aid in President Bush's administration, said Kummant.
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It surprises me that it is so difficult to add extra cars. Is that because of the time taking a train out of service and reconfiguring it? Or is the difficulty finding a builder to match the original fleet? Or cost, as suggested by the last paragraph? In any case there seem to be a lot of excuses made which suggests a "can't do" attitude rather than a JFDI attitude (I apologise for a crass acronym but I can't think of anything better right now).
We went through a similar exercise in the UK a few years ago when the Pendolino trains were extended from 8 cars to 9. These were designed by another company but built by Alstom in the UK. As far as I remember one train was taken out of service for a day or three for the reconfiguration - software upgraded, wiring altered as appropriate etc.
If Amtrak has 2 trainsets available for maintenance/repair at any one time - and 90% availability is a pretty low figure - then one of those "spare" trainsets ought to be able to have the time taken to reconfigure it.
My guess is that there is something Amtrak is not telling us. I wouldn't be surprised if it's a Y2K-style problem where the software can only handle 8 cars without a lot of type conversions!
Geoff M.
-------------------- Geoff M. Posts: 2426 | From: Apple Valley, CA | Registered: Sep 2000
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The problem is not so much adding or removing cars from an Acela trainset (even if it does involve 'shopping" the entire set - apparently same as your UK equipment), it is how or if such cars will be acquired.
We are likely talking US$2M per car; 40 cars would add two to each set; total tab $80M. Additionally, the three Acela car barns (Wash NY Bos) would have to be lengthened by some 200' each. Software issues? who knows.
There is no question whatever, Acela is a "smash hit'; it clearly has strong public acceptance, even if its fare level is not for those who "do things on the cheap". I'm certain if the sets were expanded to eight cars, ridership would increase proportionately. There could be some fare discounting on Weekends, but that weekend rider, could well become a full fare (likely on the boss' "tuppence") Weekday rider.
But as you well know, Mr. GeoffM, there will be a new occupant of the White House ("142 and a wake up') and the incumbent Bush administration simply has no political capital to expend on anything. They can only hope that the Emergency Management response to the potential threat of Hurricane Gustav will let them leave office in more favorable esteem than otherwise.
Therefore, any Amtrak initiative will be deferred to the incoming Administration - and Amtrak is hardly "front burner'.
New railcars will not be on the property overnight.
At another Forum, a Member here suggested that the existing Acela Food Service cars, which presently has no revenue seating, be converted to Coaches. Food service would be provided by an Attendant and a 'trolley' such as used at present on the Chi-Milw "Hiawatha" service.
True, the window configuration in the Food Service car is not conducive for "looking out', but if you need seats and you need 'em in a hurry, what alternatives are there at hand?
Posts: 9979 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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quote:Originally posted by Gilbert B Norman: Additionally, the three Acela car barns (Wash NY Bos) would have to be lengthened by some 200' each.
Hmmm, now that would make sense as a logistical factor - though why 200' which would be the length of around 3 cars and not one? Future proofing?
quote:Originally posted by Gilbert B Norman: But as you well know, Mr. GeoffM, there will be a new occupant of the White House ("142 and a wake up')
Don't I know it. McObama this, Palin that. Do I care? Not until there is actually an election for the president, not just who will run for it.
quote:Originally posted by Gilbert B Norman: At another Forum, a Member here suggested that the existing Acela Food Service cars, which presently has no revenue seating, be converted to Coaches. Food service would be provided by an Attendant and a 'trolley' such as used at present on the Chi-Milw "Hiawatha" service.
The same is happening here, the latest victim being the "cross country" services (SW England to NE England and Scotland, not via London). One perfectly good snack bar to be replaced by - wait for it - about 10 seats and a trolley service which will no doubt be unable to offer the current range of coffees, hot snacks, books, and magazines.
Geoff M.
-------------------- Geoff M. Posts: 2426 | From: Apple Valley, CA | Registered: Sep 2000
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Mr. GeoffM, 85ft (length of a US railcar) X 2 cars (siggested number to add to each set) = 170ft + 30ft "to grow on" = 200ft (suggested additional carbarn length)
Posts: 9979 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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I have a vague memory of a food service cart like this while a child in the fifties riding coach between NY and St Louis. I don't know which rail line or train name. I think it later became the National Limited. Or is that cart a made up memory?
Ira
Posts: 300 | From: Denver, CO USA | Registered: Aug 2000
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It's not all that surprising, for the booming populations and land development, it was bound to happen.
-------------------- Modeling the ATSF-BNSF crossover times of the 1990s. HO scale. Posts: 23 | From: IL in the USA | Registered: May 2008
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quote:for the booming populations and land development
Hmm? Acela service is not being extended beyond the NEC. Nor is it intended to serve its entire population; the fares charged bear that out.
quote:In any case there seem to be a lot of excuses made which suggests a "can't do" attitude rather than a JFDI attitude
If you were going for crass, there's always the slightly more family-friendly "JBWDI". The prevailing attitude, though, is "WRTDI" or "WWMEETNDI" (figure that one out).
quote:My guess is that there is something Amtrak is not telling us
Or something that Kummant's not telling us. One of the attributes of Gunn that got him fired was being outspoken. Says a lot about the Amtrak BOD when they fire a president for doing his job.
Posts: 566 | Registered: Mar 2002
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Actually, Amtrak has some proposals drawn up to add 24 revenue seats in the cafe car by taking out the stools and counter area and replacing them with seats. As for replacing the whole car with cart service, It would be totally inadequate for a potential 6.5 hour ride to serve nothing more than snacks and beverages.
Posts: 332 | From: Long Island, NY USA | Registered: Jan 2004
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