Your daily source of fresh takes on news affecting America's passengers. See also the weekly NARP Hotline.
November 13, 2013
Written By Abe Zumwalt In yesterday’s post Malcolm Kenton delved into a new service offered by the U.S. government that will allow for better information for home buyers with regard to associated costs of ownership- including proximity to transportation infrastructure. It is remarkable that in the late 19th century, these costs were not only known and felt, but were also crucial in deciding whe...
November 13, 2013
Written By Sean Jeans Gail During NARP’s Fall Meeting in Jacksonville, Florida, our Council of Representatives was lucky enough to hear from Dr. Anthony Perl. Dr. Perl is a professor of political science and Director of the Urban Studies Program at Simon Fraser University, in Vancouver, British Columbia—though he started his career in transportation as a NARP intern in the mid-1970s. One o...
November 12, 2013
Written By Malcolm Kenton An introductory course in economics will teach you that one of several conditions that must be met to have a properly functioning market, where prices for goods and services are established based on the optimal intersection of supply and demand, is “perfect” information. Both buyer and seller must have access to all the relevant information about the product or servi...
November 11, 2013
Written By Sean Jeans Gail The Cascade's new train set arrives in Oregon. With the average age of Amtrak equipment just topping 28 years, any regular passenger of the U.S. intercity rail network can tell you how desperately new rail cars are needed. Beyond simple comfort, aging equipment decreases reliability and on time performance, and increases the cost of maintaining Amtrak’s fleet....
November 11, 2013
Written By Colin Leach Amtrak's Carl Sandburg on BNSF's Chicago Subdivision. Via the Wikimedia Foundation If you’ve ever traveled on the Northeast Corridor during the Thanksgiving holiday, you’re probably used to arriving at the station and finding the platforms teeming with travelers and their bags. You’re probably also used to the sight of your Amtrak train pulling into the station wit...