Effective Jan. 1, 2019, the new mileage rate will become $3.67 per mile, an increase of more than 12 percent from the $3.26 rate implemented on May 1, 2018. Prior to May’s tariff adjustment, passenger rates were $2.90 per mile as outlined in an Oct. 1, 2017 addendum to the private car tariff. In the past 12 months, Amtrak has increased private car costs by 77 cents per mile, or an increase of more than 26 percent during that period.
The passenger railroad is also increasing the costs of most other services, too. Overnight parking rates will become $174 each night, up from May 1 addendum of $155; monthly parking at Amtrak terminals will become $3,516 per month, up from $3,125; and the use of an extra locomotive to pull trains with added private cars will cost $5.74 per mile, up from the previous rate of $5.10 per mile.
Amtrak has also added other charges for the use of its locomotives, including a daily locomotive charge of $1,970 and a head end power daily charge of $2,692.
In its latest rate addendum taking effect Jan. 1, the railroad says it “reserves the right to change the terms and rates contained herein at any time,” adding that “private car moves confirmed prior to any such changes will be honored at the rates contained in the confirmation.”
In addition to the private car rates, Amtrak is restoring Oakland, Calif., as a point where private cars can be removed from — but not added to — the Coast Starlight. Oakland had previously been excluded from the list. The Oakland Jack London Square switch cost will be $2,065 per occurrence. The cars can then travel on the California Zephyr.
Aside from the tariff changes, Amtrak has also outlined lengthy conditions for the movement of private cars, including new responsibilities and guidelines for owners.
Section five under general conditions states that private car owners or the person in charge of a private car shall not offer business courtesies to any Amtrak employee. The document outlines business courtesies as “presents, gifts, hospitality, or favor for which fair market value is not paid by the recipient.” The railroad outlines meals, drinks, entertainment, door prizes, and transportation as examples of business courtesies, among any gifts or services with a value greater than $10.
The railroad has also outlined additional details as it pertains to professional conduct, inspection and repair guidelines, and insurance and liability requirements.
A prominent private car operator on the East Coast, commenting on condition of anonymity, shared these thoughts with Trains News Wire on Amtrak’s proposed rates:
• “The new charges and tariffs have an unjustified price increase with no standard scale of increase. Amtrak can increase whenever and however they deem fit without any oversight and no justification.”
• “All these charges are more restricting for small businesses that need to know Amtrak’s pricing way in advance in order to operate trips.”
• “Amtrak has yet to tell us what the actual cost is to haul a private passenger car on a regularly scheduled Amtrak train.”
The private car operator adds: “Amtrak has the monopoly on private cars and it seems that all they want to do is increase rates to a point of us not being able to operate. With all these unjustified rate increases, we are still not getting the level of service for which we pay,” citing issues with securing ground power at Amtrak terminals across the country.
A copy of the latest addendum can be found here.
Delta Dick strikes again !!!
“Amtrak has yet to tell us what the actual cost is to haul a private passenger car on a regularly scheduled Amtrak train.”
Amtrak probably doesn’t know. Since most private car moves go on long distance trains, and Amtrak’s methods of determining cost of operating the long distance trains is suspect, the cost of moving private cars on these long distance trains would be too. And, having just retired from a long time working in the railroad freight industry, I can tell you that freight railroads really don’t accurately determine their individual costs very well either. (Lots of cherry picking, depending on who’s in charge “suggesting” what the desired outcome is even before the data can make a determination one way or the other.)
On the other hand, it’s hard to feel very sorry for those who can afford their own passenger cars. Either you have a LOT (I mean really a lot) of money and it doesn’t matter (which I think should be the general consensus on owning such a car), or you were one of those people who still have a whole lot more money than I do but had just enough to fulfill a longstanding desire to own your own rail car and run it around the country without much wiggle room, and now it puts your entire “investment” in jeopardy. It’s kind of like the desire to buy and remodel that rundown Victorian house in some quaint New England village: Something really desirable, but the potential for being a money pit is almost infinite with a lot of variables and you should know that going in.
But all of this misses the real point. It’s now been about a year since the current Amtrak management has made it clear that its goal is to focus its resources on its existing route structure. Logically, then, in this atmosphere of higher fees charged for private car movements, the loss of the Pacific Parlour car, and the removal of customer service personnel at some pretty well-patronized stations, we should be seeing some real improvements in Amtrak service. Capacity should be added to existing trains, equipment should be more in line to the “state of good repair” and a marked improvement in onboard customer service should be readily apparent. But such is not the case. The current Amtrak management has nothing to show that counterbalances the degrading of services over the past year. It’s cause and effect. Time for Amtrak to show actual results.
Mister Zweerts:
Actually, this makes sense when you realize Oakland is end-of-track. It is the western terminus for the California Zephyr (actually I think it is Emeryville but that is a quibble). In theory at least PV could then go east, north, or south. What Amtrak will actually allow I do not know.
The above remarks are general in nature and do not form the basis for an attorney/client relationship. They do not constitute legal advice. I am not your attorney. Go find your own damn lawyer
Operational challenge for PVs. You may only go eastbound out of Oakland on the CZ. Westbound PVs are out of luck once they reach Oakland.
I remember a story about a Confederate general setting up a railroad like this and then stealing a bunch of equipment.
Hmmm. What wasn’t reported were the additional rules:
No alcohol will be allowed on the Private Cars. Picnic baskets allowed only if they contain Bologna sandwiches.
There will be a Duty on chips and toilet tissue if brought on board.
Participants will be required to wear seat belts whilst the train, usually a coal manifest, is moving. There will be only one passenger allowed per seat. No buddy-ing up.
No flushing the toilets when the train is at a station, or while it is moving.
Amtrak will couple the Private Cars anywhere in the train it is prudent, including in front of the locomotive.
And you will genuflect to Anderson, and kiss his ring.
Congratulations to Private Car owners (of whom I am envious). You’ve won the Lottery by traveling on the government operated AMTRAK!
Seems to me the rich folks who ride in private cars can afford a slight bump in the fares (a slight bump relative to their paychecks anyway…)
I do think Amtrak should take this a bit further and allow private companies to run ALL the Amtrak sleeping cars. A Chicago to West Coast (uh) Pullman Car Line (hint hint) would cost ” $3.67 times 2200 (miles, roughly) ” or (roughly) $8000 bucks. There are (working from memory here) 26 rooms in an Amtrak double decker (uh) Pullman Car (hint hint), so that would be (roughly) $300 bucks per room to cover the Amtrak car charge.
Everything over that, George gets to keep.
There sure seems to be allot of rich folks running around who like cruises. Europe & New Zealand are bursting at the seems with traveling rich folks. Maybe selling Pullman Car space to traveling rich folks (hint hint) could be the “next big thing”.
Heck, if Amtrak is going to rent locomotives too, maybe some private operator could run the entire train. Amtrak could just rename itself to: “Amtrak Leasing Services, LLC” (a wholly owned subsidiary of “Amtrak Real Estate, LLC” (a wholly owned subsidiary of “Amtrak Northeast Corridor, LLC”)) , and leave the non-beltway-bandit trains to be operated by others.
Just when things appeared to be quieting down at Amtrak, Richard Anderson rears his ugly head again. Time is long overdue for his departure.
Mike Lustig
Anna – You pose an interesting question beneath the sarcasm. Why this death by a thousand cuts, instead of just “no more private cars,” in line with the policy of “no more special moves,” (even if it’s the “Toys For Tots” Christmas train in upstate NY)? I downloaded the new “policy” to have a read. It printed out to fourteen pages. After plowing through about halfway, I decided I’d rather read the Internal Revenue Code. I empathize with my former comrades in the PV world. Thank God and Graham Claytor I was there when I was there, and got out long before this unnecessary disaster.
Why don’t they go all the way and make the tariff one million dollars per mile with a hundred million dollar minimum? It is clear they don’t want the business.
Best not to give them ideas.
The above comments are general in nature and do not form the basis for an attorney/client relationship. They do not constitute legal advice. I am not your attorney. Go find your own damn shyster.
These are the darkest days of Amtrak’s history brought about, not by the politician, but Amtrak’s current leadership.
Government operations don’t have to make money on their operations, but nothing stops them from making TOO much money!
Are they just trying to take private cars off all trains? If you are looking for a uniform look, paint locos so stripe continues down the whole train, make sure rooflines of locos, amfleets, and viewliners match.
Hey Chase , did you forget the picture ?