Rail the only civilized means of travel.

The New York Times has been known to give incorrect information regarding the allegedly 'successful' privatization of British Rail.  They said 'Agressive private operators in Britain have driven down fares and offered hundreds of special promotions.'  That couldn't be further from the truth.  Fares have gone up by at least 10% on all services.  As well as that, 3 accidents caused by faulty rails or signals have caused at least 100 deaths since 1997.

Please write back to me, telling me whether I can use the site to display all of this information.  If you allow me, I'll write a full report enforcing the idea that Amtrak should remain public, by backing it up with evidence that privatization is a con and doesn't work.

Many thanks,
Alan D. Added July 1,2002

I am a British Citizen who had never visited your land before last year.  I was given a gift of a rail pass and came over.  What a wonderful time I had on the Amtrak trains the Southwest Chief, The Pacific Surfliner, The Coast Starlight Limited and the California Zephyr. 
I had Fifteen days of dramatic scenery wonderful trains and unforgettable conversations.  Having not been very well disposed toward the USA before my trip I was instantly changed from being anti American to being PRO AMERICAN!
Now I discover that some fool in your government is wanting your trains to make profits!  Don't your officials know that there are NO profit making passenger rail systems in the WORLD?  Like your airlines your passenger trains NEED governmental support. 
In my case I was given the most wonderful introduction to your wonderful country and people through your passenger train system of long distance sleeper trains.  I am not alone.  Each year thousands like me are impressed like I was.  Cut these services and you will loose even more good will and support from around the globe. 
PLEASE do not be part of the system that goes down in history as the ill-advised fools who destroyed not only the passenger railways of a whole continent but also who sabotaged such a valuable way of winning overseas tourists and more importantly FRIENDS.  And your country NEEDS friends now !
In deep concern I remain your nations new friend
P.J.M

I am strongly urging all my friends both American an non American to e-mail and lobby on this vita issue. 
As A non-American I see it as a vital link in your much needed propaganda war against the lies that many people put out about your land.  There is no better way to see America than by Amtrak and no better way to have long personal conversations with Americans that reveal what your people are TRULY like as people than by travelling on Long Distance Amtrak trains.  Busses and aircraft restrict you to one person who sits with you {Or non if you travel with a friend}  But on a train you eat and relax with many different people and thus build up a much more representational view of the people of America.
The  TV and film screens of the world are full of Americans gunning down others, murdering others, blowing up others and declaring war on others.   Or worse they show us idiots and crass fools in unrealistic sit-com shows, then the Islamic fundamentalists pump out their anti-American lies and the Anti-Capitalists and Anarchists pump out their propaganda as well... 
Your country MUST start to let non Americans meet real AMERICANS. Not the fakes on films and tv shows.  YOU must START TO LET THE WORLD MEET THE REAL you... OR YOU WILL END UP HATED AND ATTACKED BY ALL. 
Your National Passenger rail system is the BEST system I know of and could possibly imagine to accomplish this {Personally I think the Southwest Chief is the best of the best in this regard} scrap it and I genuinely feel you'll loose an incalculable advantage in this struggle for civilisation!

Please do all you can to lobby your elected agents and officials....
P J M {Whitby , England in the United Kingdom} added  4-11-02

Well, what is the  source of this information?  I didn't know that decision has been already made and that trains are already running their last months.  If so, why  write to President and Congress?  Isn't it too late?  I doubt that it's true.  First, the notices were supposed to be issued last week and they  weren't.  Second, NARP urged Amtrak's Board not to issue the notices. 
Third, even if notices are sent (which Amtrak indeed has been considering to  do this week), they are neither final decision, nor death sentense for  trains; they don't in any way require Amtrak to stop trains, they just give it a right to do so if adequate funding are not provided.  Meanwhile, the    S.1991 - a pro-Amtrak bill in Senate - has now 28 cosponsors!  Amtrak, at 
the same time, has added a business class service to its Silver Star train (something it wouldn't probably do out of common sense if it indeed determined to shut these trains down). 

So what are we going to do?  Sit down and mourn still-running trains?  Or rather defend these trains by a) writing/talking to politicians on all levels, particularly asking Congress and Administration to support the S.1991, as well as $1.2 billion appropriation for Amtrak for next year  (already proposed in the Senate), b) distributing NARP's leaflet (found at  www.narprail.org/new.htm) to as many people as possible, the best way to do it is to give about 50 or 100 or more leaflets to a conductor/attendant of 
any long-distance train departing from your station, kindly ask the conductor to distribute the leaflets among passengers.  Train staff members probably have some idea of what is going on, so they'll probably do it with pleasure.  c) If you plan to travel within the continental U.S., choose Amtrak as the best way to go... And let's hope this trip won't be the last one.  I don't think that those outstanding legislators who support Amtrak would easily let the U.S. become the first trainless country.  It's pretty unlikely.  They didn't let trains stop in 1971, neither they did so during  Reagan's administration, they also didn't do so in 1997.  Common sense shows the unlikeliness for this now as well. 
added 4/11/02
Amtrak employess are not allowed to distribute leaflets to customers.  Amtrak is not allowed self-help.
To Home Page

Now, on May 3, I finally am taking the time to travel back home from LA to Wilmington DE by train via the Southwest Chief, and was planning a morning ride out of Chicago on the Three Rivers to Pittsburgh, and on to Philly/Wilmington.  My Southwest Chief tickets were brought, but when my travel agent contacted Amtrak to order my Chicago/Wilmington/Chicago leg, my train had been cancelled.  Instead of beautiful views of Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, I have to leave Chicago at night!

We must have an alternative to planes and cars.  I love to drive and have driven all over the U.S., but with airports and planes the way things are after 9/11, I'd rather spend a more time getting there and sit back and relax on the rails.

Go Amtrak!
added 4/11/02

Bruce I. Selby
Conductor Amtrak/Metrolink  added 3/31/02
To Home Page

Subject: Save Amtrak 
President Bush, Vice-President Cheney, Senators Levin, Stabenow, and McCain, 
I support and urge you all (the Congress and leaders) to: 
- keep a national long distance passenger train network and support 
continued funding of our national rail passenger network. - Amtrak national 
rail passenger network is a vital part of our country past present and 
future. - I want Amtrak and our long distance trains to survive and grow. 

Thank you. 
Jay D 
XXXXXX 
Ann Arbor, MI 48104 
Jay Thank you, for sharing your e-mail Bob Stone web master save Amtrak.3/27/02
It's great to have support from theU of Mich.edu:

LES L train conductor #3/4 LAX KNG LAX Added 3/18/02
Les, Thank you, All Amtrak employees should take time out and contact the President and Congress. The company is not allowed self help. It's up to each employee to speak up to save Amtrak, their paycheck,future and retirement.Bob

Second, I would like to say that I fully support your cause of saving Amtrak, because it is simply a much better way to travel.  I hate driving long distances and every time I've been on a plane I couldn't wait to get off.  No leg room whatsoever, turbulence, and sitting so close to the person next to me I felt like I was in a sardine can.  In contrast, every time I've gotten off an Amtrak passenger train, I couldn't wait to get back on!  Leg room, the freedom to move about, beautiful scenery, good food, and not having to worry about traffic, etc.  How much better can it get?  Well a sleeper would be nice.  Maybe I should get one next time. 

That said, I believe that there is better way than having the federal government continue to fund Amtrak.  I don't think the government is the solution, I think it is the problem.  And what I mean is the welfare for motorists and airlines (and their passengers).  The subsidies, to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars (probably surpassing $1 trillion if you count state governments) make it impossible for Amtrak to compete.  If the government were to start making motorists and airlines pay the costs associated with highway and air travel (which I believe they should) and give the welfare money back to tax payers, Amtrak would have a tremendous price advantage.  Ridership would soar, allowing Amtrak to make a profit, expand service, and do lots of infrastructure improvements.  Without this price advantage, I believe a national passenger rail system will never realize the potential that is still there.  We will never see passenger rail like there once was in America without Amtrak being market-driven. 
In short, it would be best if the government would stop the gravy train for airlines and motorists, and just keep its welfare checkbook out of transportation.  Then there would be no need to fund Amtrak. 
Of course I don't see that happening due to special interest groups such as airlines, auto manufacturers, and oil companies who benefit greatly from these welfare checks. 
Chris added 3/18/02

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