(The following story by Ted Jackovics appeared on The Tampa Tribune website on January 11, 2010.)
TAMPA, Fla. — Amtrak’s top official said today the government operated passenger railroad is better positioned than potential foreign competitors to operate a proposed Tampa-Orlando high speed train.
“Our capability to operate high speed trains, to operate electrified trains…brings depth and knowledge on how to operate trains in a corridor,” president and chief executive Joseph Boardman said in response to a conference call question with the news media.
Amtrak operates Acela high speed trains between Boston, New York and Washington. It is the only high speed rail operator in North America.
“We do have foreign competitors,” Boardman said. “Many are beginning to raise their heads with the dollars available.”
If the Obama Administration approves Florida’s $2.6 billion request for high speed rail stimulus funds this winter, electric-powered trains operating up to 150 mph could travel between Tampa and Orlando beginning in 2014.
In December, more than a dozen major U.S. and foreign-based rail manufacturers and operators attended a Florida High Speed Rail Industry Forum in Orlando. In addition to thousands of construction jobs, a high speed rail project would create manufacturing jobs ranging from train cars to automated ticket machines.
Regarding conventional rail, Boardman said Amtrak in February would announce a detailed plan to replace and expand its fleet of locomotives and railcars in time to become part of a Congressional budget pitch.
One passenger rail advocate who is frequently critical of Amtrak management, J. Bruce Richardson who heads the United Rail Passenger Alliance Inc of Jacksonville, said in a newsletter last month that a Congressional plan to provide $800 million for Amtrak fleet modernization did nothing to expand the fleet and expand Amtrak service.
Amtrak completed fiscal year 2009 in September with its second best year in history by carrying 27.2 million passengers, down from 28.7 million in fiscal 2008 when high gas prices encouraged motorists to take trains.
But only one daily northbound and southbound train serves Amtrak on a run between New York and Miami.
Boardman also said Amtrak will evaluate its poorest performing long-distance routes to identify and implement changes.
Those include the Sunset Limited, which formerly served Florida but now runs between New Orleans and Los Angeles; the Cardinal between New York and Chicago through West Virginia; the Texas Eagle between Chicago and Los Angeles via Arkansas and Texas; the Capitol Liimited between Washington and Chicago, and the California Zephyr, between Chicago and California via Colorado.