“Over the last 12 months, Amtrak operations and equipment contributed between 11 and 18 percent of the total delay.  Likewise, “third party†causes of delay, such as inclement weather and police activity, contributed only between 6 and 8 percent of the total.  The delay that Amtrak ascribes to the “host†railroad, on the other hand, averaged 79 percent of total monthly delay.”*
Amtrak operates some commuter trains in California.
Breaking down delays attributable to the host railroads (across the national system):*
- Freight train interference (25 percent)
- Passenger train interference (this really means other Amtrak trains)
- Commuter train interference
- Slow orders not related to weather (“likely in response to track conditions”)
- Signal delays
And the reason Amtrak can’t report: Continued underfunding at a time when ridership is increasing. Congress makes yearly allocations to Amtrak and without an expectation for stable long-term funding, the National Passenger Railroad Corporation can’t make long-term investment plans or seek alternate, additional funding (like bonds). Recently received American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding gives Amtrak a necessary booster shot to clear out a backlog of maintenance. But this doesn’t solve the year-to-year fight for dollars.
An Amtrak train emerging from Chicago Union Station (CUS).
State of Illinois-supported routes (from Chicago to St. Louis, Missouri, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin) show a 20% increase since 2007. The Illinois Department of Transportation has spent millions of dollars in the past few years to upgrade track, crossings, and signals to improve travel times. You can see the effect on ridership when you improve service. I think this makes Illinois a strong contender for high-speed rail stimulus money not yet awarded.
*Delay information comes from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning’s 2009 Freight Snapshot draft report.
