<<  <  >  >>

Station a notable holding) to nil (a shelter

ple is the New York Metropolitan Transpor-

and platform in some small towns). Asset dis-

tation Authority, which on behalf of the

position is not an issue with many stations

Long Island Rail Road has attempted to gain

used by Amtrak because the structures are

control of two of the tunnels that lead into

Manhattan's Penn Station.72

owned by others such as regional commuter

rail agencies (for example, Los Angeles Union

On some commuter rail systems else-

Passenger Terminal) and local communities

where, Amtrak provides various degrees of

(for example, Irvine, California). In many

train dispatching, ticket collection, and

places the freight railroads continue to own

maintenance services. It is virtually certain

passenger stations in which Amtrak's inter-

that the private sector will be interested in

est is that of a tenant.

bidding on those contracts, and private com-

Freight Terminals. Highly uncertain is the

panies now operate parts of commuter train

fate of Amtrak freight terminals, which in

operations in Chicago, Los Angeles, San

many cases are located in or adjacent to exist-

Diego, San Jose, and Dallas.

ing railroad freight yards. A listing of the ter-

Amtrak commuter contracts (operations

and/or maintenance) are73

minals includes but is not limited to

Chicago, Oakland, Louisville, Detroit,

Amtrak is periph-

· Maryland

Jeffersonville, Indiana, Kansas City, Dallas,

Rail Commuter Service

eral to the opera-

and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.67

(Maryland and District of Columbia)

· Massachusetts Bay Transportation

Maintenance Bases. Amtrak owns mainte-

tions of the three

nance facilities in Boston, New York City,

Authority  (Massachusetts,  Rhode

largest commuter

Washington, D.C., and Wilmington and

Island)

· Metrolink (Los Angeles)

rail systems in

Bear, Delaware, whose futures will be

· The Coaster (San Diego)

brighter if they are run by an innovative fran-

the United States.

· CalTrain (San Francisco­San Jose)

chise operator. Amtrak's heavy overhaul base

· Virginia Railway Express (Virginia and

at Beech Grove, Indiana, has potential as a

privatized operation, particularly as Amtrak

District of Columbia)

· Shoreline East (Connecticut)

has assigned to the facility contact work on

· Sound Transit (Seattle)74

transit cars used in city subway systems.

Other maintenance facilities serve routes

with a high likelihood of continued opera-

Potential Purchasers and

tion under a franchise system and include

Franchise Operators

Chicago, Hialeah, Florida, Los Angeles, New

Orleans, Niagara Falls, Oakland, Rensselaer,

New York, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.68

There has been significant private-sector

interest in the potential for rail franchising in

Commuter Operating Contracts

the United States. Domestic companies exam-

It should be noted that Amtrak is periph-

ining such options include Peter Pan Bus

eral to the operations of the three largest

Lines and Railway Service Corporation, and

commuter rail systems in the United States--

overseas interest is being expressed by British

the Long Island Rail Road in New York,

train operators Great Western Trains,

which carried 85.3 million people in 2000;69

Stagecoach, Virgin Management Group, and

Metro-North Railroad, also serving New

GB Rail. The possible candidates for assuming

York, which carried 71.8 million passengers

the contracts for commuter rail operations

last year;70 and Chicago's Metra Commuter

include Herzog Transit Services of Missouri,

System, which served 82 million passen-

which already holds commuter train contracts

gers.71 Some commuter lines that are depen-

in Florida, Texas, and California, and Connex,

dent on Amtrak already have sought greater

which is examining state-contracted regional

trains as well as commuter trains.75

control over their own operations. An exam-

13