Where’s the Brains for the Trains?

Posted on November 19, 2006
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AMTRAK has a stupendously great way of promoting public transportation – in this case, its own “high-speed” rail service between Harrisburg and Philadelphia.

It works this way: Announce with great fanfare the start of high-speed service between the two Pennsylvania cities, with trains traveling at 110 miles-per-hour over a rebuilt roadbed. The run will take only 90 minutes, AMTRAK proclaims.

Then, start the service and explain why more than 41 percent of the trips are more than 10 minutes late. One reason: Well, the roadbed rebuilding isn’t really done yet.

“…AMTRAK felt it could run the service smoothly even while the last of the tie replacements (between Parkesburg and Exton) were being completed,” the Harrisburg Patriot reports.

Whoops! Not so. Now get this:

“AMTRAK will shift (the roadbed work) from Monday through Friday to a Thursday through Sunday schedule on Nov. 30 to lessen the effect on weekday service.

“Once the shift occurs,” The Patriot continues, “trains will run closer to schedule on Mondays through Wednesdays. Delays of 10 to 15 minutes will still occur Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.”

A truly great way to build ridership. Neither on the rails nor in headquarters does anyone at AMTRAK seem especially swift.

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