Technology, fashion, music, pop-culture...with me, societal trends tend to come and go with little fanfare. An exception I've noticed is my unintentional adoption of curious verbal cliches, leading to the occasional spontaneous use of "far out" in response to an engineering proposal or "well, duh!" to a politician's inanity. [Just for the record, the latter example is NOT recommended!]
Recently, when discussing the gulf which exists between railroading's freight and passenger camps, I said my ultimate wish was for us to work around our differences, "hold hands and sing Kumbaya!"
Around the campfire, naturally.
A mental image of Benjamin Franklin's "Join, or Die" snake comes to mind. I am convinced that we, as railroaders, along with freight and passenger railways, rail transit operators, suppliers, shippers, manufacturers and investors, stand to gain far more than we could ever lose by adopting a spirit of mutual cooperation and presenting a unified front.
Of course, there are certain items which will be of greater interest to one group or another. That's to be expected. Still, flanged wheels and steel rails have the ability to override minor differences.
Hopefully.
I sometimes worry it won't be enough. Of course, I'm also concerned when government aid is equated with government interference and rightful property owners are perceived as dangerous unless made impotent.
Freight trains and the railroads operating them are not the enemy! Without their infrastructure in place, the U.S. would have precious little passenger service. Even the Northeast Corridor, now essentially owned by Amtrak and other passenger-centric government affiliated agencies, would likely have remained part of a common carrier's network had it not been for the creation of Conrail.
Without the political will to design, construct and maintain a new public railway network dedicated to passenger service, trains which carry people must continue to negotiate the use of trackage owned and maintained by independent, private firms. You know; the ones who run the trains which do not carry people! [Besides, although many pro-passenger types are loathe to admit it, our industry's contribution as freight haulers means far more to the general economy than even the most grandiose vision of passenger service ever could.]
Conversely, passenger trains and the companies operating them are not the enemy! Absent these agencies' inherent affiliation with the general public, our
private railroads would often get lost in the political shuffle and remain isolated from the masses. Certainly, for two score years now, it's been routinely accepted that such a hermit's existence is not necessarily a bad thing! It is a luxury, though, which comes at a palpable cost.
With the acknowledged risk of overplaying an analogy, today's railroads can be perceived as a sort of Tiger Woods: competent and healthy, yet aloof and uncaring, leaving little room for maneuverability if, ah, "disabled" in some way. Give those of a certain mindset an inch and, quicker than one might say "coal slurry pipeline," the spectre of re-regulation could raise its ugly head.
Personally, I tend to applaud roads like the UP when they eschew public money if uncomfortable strings are attached. Bring passenger service into the negotiations? No thanks, California; we'll fund improvements to the historic Overland Route ourselves!
There's no need to shy from the truth, either. Passenger improvements don't always help the freight guys, and for transportation "leaders" to insist otherwise is disingenuous, at best. Joseph Bateman's response to Springfield, Illinois' daily paper was a recent and well publicised example of a way to be both respectful and forthright.
On the other hand, do we honestly believe that Chicago's CREATE would have a realistic chance at funding if improved passenger train service was NOT part of the package? The BNSF's Paul Nowicki seems eager to explain the various ways their trains are "held hostage" by plate glass and varnish, which is fine; but, use that as an excuse to decline the taxpayer's largesse? Ain't gonna happen.
Fort Worth's Tower 55 is another location where public money is being sought to help fund the work. [To be fair, these calls for government involvement often originate with local elected officials and not with railroad executives.] At every public meeting, attendees are reminded of the passenger issues, even though the Trinity Railway Express commuter line has constructed a parallel, dedicated bypass, and current Amtrak services require only six daily trips through the plant. Even
so, it's the public's connection (current or potential) to passenger trains which drives the interest, and it will be the promise of future passenger expansions (impossible without a new-and-improved Tower 55) which will solidify public support.
As with any chain, however, one refurbished link will simply call attention to the next trouble spot. Finish the work at Tower 55 and issues within Dallas' Union Terminal or throughout the greater Houston area will suddenly jump to the fore. And we're still in Texas!
This is one reason why I support the idea of public involvement in capital programmes nationwide, with railroads directing the infrastructure work and taxpayers guarding the final budget. Precisely how this approach falls under the "public/private partnership" umbrella is relatively meaningless, as long as projects are completed...and as long as we don't spend too much time wringing our hands over who might receive the greatest amount of perceived value. After all, if the railroads "win" once in a while, it might keep them happy - and more amenable to the next idea. If the passenger operators occasionally "win," it may help to placate those who are actually paying the bills.
There has never been a single example of a nation investing in true high-speed passenger service prior to maximising the use of their existing conventional infrastructure. Not one! That alone should be ample reason for pause. If we could create a formula whereby our railroads actually generated value from the hauling of people, if they had none of the headaches associated with maintaining or marketing the various services and complete protection from a lawsuit-happy citizenry, and, if the passenger trains were really wanted and treated as industry flagships, with a general acceptance - from every level - of the care and feeding people demand, I truly believe our modern age would see a wholesale resurgence in travel by train, surprising the most supportive and pleasing the most jaded.
I have no doubt that U.S. high-speed service would be popular. I also have no doubt it would be expensive. Furthermore, without a comprehensive
transportation/energy/environmental policy in place before the project(s) began, I have no doubt it would be far less effective than it should be, since H.S.R., alone, hasn't the ability to lead us toward transport budgetary efficiencies or an era of seamless intermodalism.
When I see people who are literally unable to visit family during the holidays due to a lack of basic transportation options, when I see our nation teeter just one gasoline price spike away from financial hardship and one terrorist attack away from essential gridlock, when I see new roads - yes, even maintenance on existing ones - becoming increasingly unaffordable (yet with no reasonable options being considered), when I see commercial airline service evolving into something so inconvenient and uncomfortable that price is no longer the primary control factor, when I see the possibility that our "drive or fly" society - so carefully crafted over so many years - will come to an end and that vision no longer seems far-fetched...well, it causes me to think that maybe, just maybe, a truly American version of a cooperative, multifaceted railroad industry may once again leap off the pages of books and take physical form!
These things are not just theoretically possible; they are logically defendable, and on a multitude of levels.
If I had but one desire granted this new year, I'd ask for our blessed government to be graced with an epiphany. In my dreams, they'd finally be able to envision a transport environment where trains, of all types, were well established, well respected and well used.
So, grab an acoustic guitar, kindle that campfire and sing along with me! If we don't impress upon others the importance of our mode, we may lose this opportunity. Oh, I know at least some of these dreams will eventually come true; but, that may not occur until the damage has already been done and the pain has already been greatly intensified. We can stave off the worst by showing others, today, what a 21st century railroad can do!
The choice is ours. We are the alternative, and the people are ready!
Far out, man!
Posted
12-29-2009 10:09 PM
by
Garl B. Latham