Passengers de-train from the New River Train as it makes its second station stop in Hinton, W.Va., in October 2015.
Chase Gunnoe
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., has sent a letter to Amtrak CEO Richard Anderson expressing concern over Amtrak’s policies and restrictions that are creating financial hardship for the Collis P. Huntington Railroad Historical Society Inc. The organization has long been both a means of transportation and a West Virginia historical artifact, helping to bring millions of dollars to West Virginia’s economy annually through its operation of the New River Train. The letter also explains the impact of Collis P. Huntington’s possible closure to West Virginia and urges Amtrak to re-examine its policies that are negatively affecting the historical railroad.
“For more than 50 years as the focal point of the Railroad Days Festival, the New River Train has been at the heart of West Virginia’s proud railroading history. From providing jobs to bringing people from across the country to visit our beautiful state, railroads are still vital to the Mountain State today,” Sen. Manchin says, in part. “That’s why I find it so disheartening to see the impacts of these decisions. I am committed to doing whatever I can, legislatively or otherwise, to save the traditions and communities threatened by these policies. I stand ready to work with you to keep West Virginian’s proud railroad history alive.”
Earlier in 2018, Amtrak tightened restrictions on private car operations on its trains, which alarmed many in the private car community.
To read the full text of the letter, go to www.manchin.senate.gov.
The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation priority communities.
Montgomery County now has Pawpaw Festival.
FOUNDATION DIRECTORY
KRESGE FOUNDATION focus is America’s cities.
My March TRAINS magazine just came. It contains an interview with Joe Boardman, former head of AMTRAK. He covers the topics of private cars/special excursions as well as dining car service. He is not complimentary of current AMTRAK policy (to put it mildly).
ROGER – I was no fan of Boardman – I thought he was terrible. For us to see Boardman, now, on our side says a whole lot (nothing good) about the current management.
To the anonymous poster: I am not sure what PPE you consider necessary. The ground may not be smooth pavement, instead closely resembling the natural surface over much of the world. Most of us do not wear steel-toed footwear, safety glasses, hard hat and ear protection for a walk in the woods. They are not necessary here because the folks are not likely to be engaged in any activity that renders them potentially useful. If a knuckle needs replacing it is the railroad employees that will be doing the work, with the general public shooed well out of the way.
I also notice that nobody seems to stepping on a railhead, so perhaps this excursion was used as an opportunity to provide some simple safety instructions that are relevant here, and all other times we are around the railroad (or urban light rail) tracks.
At upwards of $10,000 revenue per private car per trip, Amtrak is losing lots of revenue. Silly to give up that kind of revenue…
Where is the U.S. DOT not to intercede and prevent Amtrak from interfering with interstate commerce?
Whether this turn against PVs and charter/special trains has the hoofprint of Anderson or Gardner, it’s apparently part of their strategy to slowly bleed and kill-off the National Network, as if slowly boiling the frog.
Perhaps it is time for Senator Manchin to arouse Congress to strike at Amtrak’s heart by rejecting and rescinding PRIIA, given how its SWAG cost allocation has been a pure subsidy for the NEC at the expense of state corridor development?
RIP Medical Debt deals with financial hardship.
The photo caption says it was from 2015. I was in Hinton this past October and on the day I was there no passengers were allowed to detrain at this location. All detrained further east on or near the platform and did not have to step over a track.
Anonymous poster – I see a lineup of passengers and crew helping others de-train safely. Are you in favor of banning automobiles? After all, with 30,000 (or is it 40,000) fatalities each year, I’m sure insurance company risk-management people are cringing. This annual excursion has been running forever. I don’t recall any tragedies from tippy step boxes, wanderers, or disabled folks being assisted.