Amtrak News/Updates

[stlokc]

I love trains. I love mass transit in general. I think it makes for a healthier and more pleasant city. Unfortunately, the OKC of today is just not set up for it to be a daily event for most. I could see one line from Edmond to Norman possibly working for big events. But for daily use? In 2025 it’s too convenient for most to drive. There are a couple of events on the horizon, though. Right now, a lot of people are driving 5 and 10 year old cars that are paid off. Have you seen the prices of new or even slightly used cars? Welp. I also think long-term the cost of gas keeps rising. So there may be economic factors coming into play. When that really starts to take hold, OKC is going to be in a world of hurt. Better to plan now.

[Mott]

I get what you're saying, but the way you said that sounds kind a-holey..."poor people". Come on.

I've said this for years, unless you can make a commuter train faster than a car or at least more convenient, then you are fighting a losing battle. We lack the population and the density to make one work here. If I have to transfer 2 trains to get from MWC to NW OKC or Yukon to Edmond, and it takes an hour...well you've lost. It has to be cheap, fast (compared to a car), and easy. We have none of that today.

On the worst of traffic days going from 50th ish and Hefner Parkway down to Moore, it takes 40-45 minutes. When it's not stupid, it takes 30. When there's no traffic, it's 15-20. I honestly think you'd have to see about double that to make any sort of train faster. And if there aren't lots of express lines also running with the multi-stop lines, well you're also losing.

When we lost the street cars, we lost a foundation we'll never get back. But we're all at least 50 years (if not more) away from being even close to where this is going to happen and be sustainable. We might be able to build something that looks like a commuter line on re-habbed freight lines that then we have to share space with. But that also makes things slower. It might last for a while but you'll see it either have to be subsidized to survive or high ticket prices. Ticket prices would be the death of it and then you tell me why it should be subsidized instead of things like public health or other services that the citizens need much more?

'Tis doomed folks, unless your version of success is the Heartland Flyer with it's microscopic ridership.

Having worked for the BNSF/ATSF for 38 years as a conductor, it’s going to be impossible to run regularly scheduled commuter trains Edmond to Norman, unless someone pays an extraordinary amount of money to double track the entire line, and that means bridges. And even then how many people will use it. Remember the trolley and its expectations. I would love it had we kept our original trolley and interurban, and expanded them rather than roads and cars. The current main line was never built for commuters. How many people will drive across Edmond and park their cars, to ride downtown?

[cinnamonjock]

Wasn't BNSF going to be the operator of the commuter train?

[bombermwc]

I think that's part of what he's saying. It's not practical. Freight owned lines will always prioritize freight. And if you owned the line, wouldn't you prioritize your own traffic and make the loaner wait?

The amount of money it would take to build these lines is astronomical. And frankly, is a pipe dream that will not happen. And the longer we wait, the more expensive it will get as we build more and more. It will be to the point where it's never going to be economically feasible for the system to pay for itself.

Some cities have gone above ground to get around that. but that's expensive in a whole other way. And maintenance for those systems is a LOT higher. Detroit even had to give away rides to get people on their downtown system. Little Rock is more like OKC's downtown system. It's "cute" but it's not really a major demand item. Few people can utilize that to get to and from work in the core.

It's just not gonna happen folks. Busses, yes. Those will be around and will be what serves this need for the next 50 years. Their flexible nature in where the line goes make then too easy to deploy and adjust on the fly. Bridge closed? go around. Trains can't do that. Need more seats, just swap that shuttle bus for a larger size one from another route at lunch by just having the driver move between vehicles. As much as I do not like the bus method, it still just makes the most sense. Embark is here to stay yall.