Freight carrier ownership of the tracks explains why the tracks are in such
poor condition. Eastbound between Kingman and Albuquerque the tracks nearly
rock the passenger train off the tracks.
Explanation we were given as to why tracks aren't improved: "Freight doesn't
complain, and passengers don't count."
"Hatunen" wrote in message
news:4r48d1lv0bugn6li8t91brfmo3b1bgc3su@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 12 Jul 2005 07:47:37 +0300, henry999@eircom.net (Henry)
> wrote:
>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> A friend of mine who is a retired Amtrack employee says
>>> that ... delays are often to wait for a freight train miles
>>> ahead to clear the tracks. Freight gets priority since that's
>>> where most of the profits come from.
>>
>>Almost. Freight gets priority because throughout the West it's the
>>freight-carrying railroads that own the tracks. Amtrak merely leases
>>access from them.
>
> That's true for almost all of AMTRAK's long routes.
>
> ************* DAVE HATUNEN (hatunen@cox.net) *************
> * Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
> * My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *
|