Amtrak ridership in Austin slips the more economy improves
September 20th, 2015
By Ben Wear - American-Statesman Staff - September 20, 2015
Amtrak’s Texas Eagle was 80 minutes late pulling into the Austin station Friday morning. Of course.
According to Amtrak, its trains have come in to Austin on time just 30.9 percent of the time over the past 12 months, mostly because its rail cars, which generally are paying guests on tracks owned by freight rail companies such as Union Pacific, must take second priority to any freight trains. Train interference caused 37 percent of the delays, while track and signal work racked up another 30 percent, Amtrak reports.
Passengers were blamed for 10 percent of the late arrivals. Hard to imagine just how a passenger could slow down a 10-car train powered by a locomotive.
Read more: http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/local/amtrak-ridership-in-austin-slips-the-more-economy-/nnh2g/
Amtrak’s Texas Eagle was 80 minutes late pulling into the Austin station Friday morning. Of course.
According to Amtrak, its trains have come in to Austin on time just 30.9 percent of the time over the past 12 months, mostly because its rail cars, which generally are paying guests on tracks owned by freight rail companies such as Union Pacific, must take second priority to any freight trains. Train interference caused 37 percent of the delays, while track and signal work racked up another 30 percent, Amtrak reports.
Passengers were blamed for 10 percent of the late arrivals. Hard to imagine just how a passenger could slow down a 10-car train powered by a locomotive.
Read more: http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/local/amtrak-ridership-in-austin-slips-the-more-economy-/nnh2g/