AMTRAK: A COST-EFFECTIVENESS ANALYSIS

Intercity rail passenger train services in the United States are provided over a basic national route system by a congressionally created quasi-public corporation called Amtrak. Although Amtrak has succeeded in arresting the long-term decline in passenger train ridership, operating deficits have grown substantially in recent years, requiring increased public subsidy. The justification for on-going public support rests on the belief that rail passenger transport contributes to fulfilling national transport policy objectives in the areas of safety, energy conservation, congestion alleviation and environmental protection. This paper examines the Amtrak impact in each of these goal areas and evaluates the organization's longer term potential. The evidence does not indicate that rail passenger train services contribute meaningfully to any of the national policy concerns outside the Northeast Corridor. Continued subsidization of the existing system appears unjustified, and a major route restructuring seems necessary.(a)

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/09658564
• Corporate Authors:

  Pergamon Press, Incorporated

  Headington Hill Hall
  Oxford OX30BW,    

  Pergamon Press, Incorporated

  Maxwell House, Fairview Park
  Elmsford, NY  United States  10523
• Authors:
  • Mulvey, F P
• Publication Date: 1979-10

Media Info

• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 329-344
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice
  • Volume: 13A
  • Issue Number: 5
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0965-8564
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/09658564

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cost effectiveness; Costs; Deficits; Economic efficiency; Energy conservation; Federal government; Financing; Intercity transportation; Intercity travel; Policy; Public transit; Railroad transportation; Safety; Subsidies
• Identifier Terms: Amtrak
• Uncontrolled Terms: Efficiency
• Geographic Terms: Northeast Corridor; Northeastern United States; United States
• ITRD Terms: 224: Cost; 5911: Efficiency; 212: Energy conservation; 244: Financing; 183: Government (national); 388: Inter urban; 173: Policy; 744: Public transport; 1173: Rail bound transport; 1665: Safety; 8122: USA
• Subject Areas: Economics; Energy; Environment; Finance; Operations and Traffic Management; Passenger Transportation; Policy; Public Transportation; Railroads; Safety and Human Factors; I10: Economics and Administration;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00309929
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: May 7 1980 12:00AM