Did you miss Marc Magliari's updates on Amtrak on February 28th?
I know this blog won't do Marc's time at the podium any justice. In fact, Marc really didn't spend any time at the podium. You really had to be there to see his energy. Marc is the Regional Media Relations Manager for Amtrak and is based out of Chicago. His duties range from crisis communications to event planning, delivering bad news and good news, all while managing service interruptions and new service starts.
Did you know Amtrak ridership experienced a 44% increase between 2000 and 2011? It seems obvious that there's demand, but past decisions mean Amtrak needs new infrastructure. Not only did Marc compare the time it took to travel on Amtrak to various destinations with air and bus, he share the why. He talked about what it takes to increase speed and how speed is intricately intertwined with safety in the way Amtrak operates. Grade crossings are not popular as they increase the risk of accidents and thus limit the speed Amtrak will allow their trains to travel. To go the speed of 220, Amtrak would need a passenger-only train track.
It will be interesting to see how Amtrak grows. It's hard to not consider the cost of gas right now. Wouldn't it make more sense to have another transportation option that is fast and economical?
By the way...if you missed this town hall social you might want to think again about missing the next one. Gerri won a fabulous round trip ticked on Amtrak! Congratulations! | 
