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in seizing opportunities for improving its program. NARP CEO Ross Capon quickly com-
mented to us that Downs apparently confus- es “control” with actually “running” the train itself. Of course, they’re different is- sues. There is no sign the Class I carriers want to “run” the trains themselves. “Con- trol” deals with making certain that passen- ger trains blend in harmoniously with the needs of UP’s freight traffic — its bottom line. Capon also noted that Downs works for Veolia Corp., a competitor to Amtrak for commuter train business. That same “conflict of interest” point was
made by Amtrak spokesman Steve Kulm who reminded us that no vote in the House had been taken to “phase Amtrak out,” as Downs suggested would happen, and that House transportation Chairman John Mica abandoned a proposal to sell off the NEC. The Class One railroads remained silent on this point,as of this writing.
Thinking Out Loud Over the years, some knowledgeable rail- oriented observers have weighed in on is- sues related to passenger train “privatiza- tion.” At one time, Railway Age Editor William Vantuono wrote a column which — while stopping well short of advocating that step — fantasized what it would be like if the freight railroads actually took that step. But he made clear that article was a
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“what if,” and has made clear he does not see total passenger privatization as practical.
Words Mean Things Let’s define our terms:
1) “Privatization” of both operations and infrastructure? Not on a large national scale of a regularly scheduled passenger train network. Or even throughout the entire re- gional map of any Class I carrier. Not with- out some subsidies, at least for infrastruc- ture, and any private railroad would expect to profit from the venture. Rail author/ex- pert Frank Wilner has expounded on this possibility at freight/passenger rail confabs. 2) The Kansas plan (above) aims ulti-
mately to cover Amtrak’s above-the-rail op- erations, not necessarily capital and infra- structure. Subsidies still required for the latter would be “hidden” as such highway and air mode subsidies are “hidden.” 3) Even the regionally focused FECI pro-
ject leads to this comment from FEC spokes- woman Barney: “It is premature to say what, if any, level of public participation or contri- bution would be involved. We are currently in a comprehensive due diligence phase fo- cused on our engineering, environmental and our investment grade ridership studies.”
Wrap-Up Most people outside the industry don’t know what they’re talking about when they speak of “privatizing” passenger trains. Election- year rhetoric can lead to a panic-button overload. Cool heads can allow for changes while avoiding disaster. There are lots of smart people trying to navigate the rough waters of bolstering America’s passenger train system. Those who understand the is- sues can explain what we mean and don’t mean) by “privatization.” Wes Vernon is a Washington-based writer and veteran broadcast journalist.
www.seattle2012.com 18 JUNE 2012 •
RAILFAN.COM
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