Sorry about the laryngitis -- but glad that you visited InnoTrans. I learned things every time that I attended. One of the things that I learned back in 2010, 2012, and 2014 was that there were few Americans attending. One reason is rigid travel expense rules at public agencies; my employer was more flexible and so I covered travel expenses coupled with vacation time, but my employer let me go back to work for four days of InnoTrans. We called it a "doughnut-shaped" vacation.
Besides walking through the latest rolling stock, InnoTrans offered opportunities for learning the latest in software, safety gear, signage, etc
Very nice article. Additional issues that need addressing are:
(1) passengers who want to enjoy just riding from one end of the country to the other - not just get there fast, but with visual pleasantness and calm.
(2) cleanliness is totally lacking in Amtrak trains when it comes to treating the passengers with respect as we watch the USA for hours on end, BUT THROUGH CONSTANT, GRIMMY, DIRTY WINDOWS, ON ALL CARS, never once having the windows cleaned across days. This is just awful, and they want our loyalty. We have had many cross country trips from Los Angeles through the north, and east to Chicago, Pittsburgh, through Denver and other times to San Antonio. Every time, I regretted not buying a long pole and wash mitten so I can clean our own windows to enjoy the view. Let the Amtrak CEOs ride their cars cross country without once using the windshield wipers with water and soap. Let them ride where we ride and see how foolish it is not to clean all windows at each stop.
(3) we need to have a six hour safety buffer between connections. You may easily be delayed that much so if you don’t know that, you missed your connection.
(4) passenger trains are at the mercy of railroad companies for permitting through out, and not having to wait while company trains make their priority runs.
My general understanding is NRPC has aligned itself with groups that are insisting one must be able to roll between cars, regardless of the lateral acceleration and jerk in that region, instead of figuring out if all amenities can be provided in one car with a short lift allowing for access. This might be the main drawback that caused the initial dropoff of interested builders for the bi-level procurement, though we may never know for sure unless someone presses for answers.
This procurement capture question needs to be addressed as it seems to be destroying any innovation that the builders might propose. For example, the ALISA concept referenced is based on composite sandwich panels in the primary structure, yet NRPC procurement documents prefer certain types of structures making everything boutique to just the US market. I believe the VIA order will be friction stir welded aluminum extrusions.
Now we are seeing another dropoff in builders and VIA moving forward with their order. Who is the best party to do a deep dive into NRPC procurement? I would assume that would be the FRA, but perhaps it needs to be the USDOT?
Sorry about the laryngitis -- but glad that you visited InnoTrans. I learned things every time that I attended. One of the things that I learned back in 2010, 2012, and 2014 was that there were few Americans attending. One reason is rigid travel expense rules at public agencies; my employer was more flexible and so I covered travel expenses coupled with vacation time, but my employer let me go back to work for four days of InnoTrans. We called it a "doughnut-shaped" vacation.
Besides walking through the latest rolling stock, InnoTrans offered opportunities for learning the latest in software, safety gear, signage, etc
Mr Mathew’s,
Very nice article. Additional issues that need addressing are:
(1) passengers who want to enjoy just riding from one end of the country to the other - not just get there fast, but with visual pleasantness and calm.
(2) cleanliness is totally lacking in Amtrak trains when it comes to treating the passengers with respect as we watch the USA for hours on end, BUT THROUGH CONSTANT, GRIMMY, DIRTY WINDOWS, ON ALL CARS, never once having the windows cleaned across days. This is just awful, and they want our loyalty. We have had many cross country trips from Los Angeles through the north, and east to Chicago, Pittsburgh, through Denver and other times to San Antonio. Every time, I regretted not buying a long pole and wash mitten so I can clean our own windows to enjoy the view. Let the Amtrak CEOs ride their cars cross country without once using the windshield wipers with water and soap. Let them ride where we ride and see how foolish it is not to clean all windows at each stop.
(3) we need to have a six hour safety buffer between connections. You may easily be delayed that much so if you don’t know that, you missed your connection.
(4) passenger trains are at the mercy of railroad companies for permitting through out, and not having to wait while company trains make their priority runs.
My general understanding is NRPC has aligned itself with groups that are insisting one must be able to roll between cars, regardless of the lateral acceleration and jerk in that region, instead of figuring out if all amenities can be provided in one car with a short lift allowing for access. This might be the main drawback that caused the initial dropoff of interested builders for the bi-level procurement, though we may never know for sure unless someone presses for answers.
This procurement capture question needs to be addressed as it seems to be destroying any innovation that the builders might propose. For example, the ALISA concept referenced is based on composite sandwich panels in the primary structure, yet NRPC procurement documents prefer certain types of structures making everything boutique to just the US market. I believe the VIA order will be friction stir welded aluminum extrusions.
Now we are seeing another dropoff in builders and VIA moving forward with their order. Who is the best party to do a deep dive into NRPC procurement? I would assume that would be the FRA, but perhaps it needs to be the USDOT?