Kusukela ngoJuni 1, i-Amtrak LAKESHORE LIMITED (okuwukuphela kwensizakalo yansuku zonke esuka eNew York naseBoston kuya eChicago) kanye neCAPITAL LIMITED (okuwukuphela kwesitimela sansuku zonke esivela eWashington kuya eChicago) ngeke isabanikeza abagibeli bezimoto zokuQala zokuQala abakulungele njengamanje abakhetha ukudla okushisayo!
U-Amtrak uthembisa indawo yokudlela “Entsha Neyamanje” esikhundleni salokho: isemishi elibandayo “elimahhala” elibandayo noma isidlo sakusihlwa, elethwa egumbini lomgibeli. Ukudla kwasekuseni kuzofaka ukukhetha okukodwa, izinkwa ezibandayo ne-yogurt enezithelo ezisikiwe. Akusekho "Railroad French Toast"! Abagibeli abalele abakhokha amakhulu ama-dollar ngaphezu kwemali yokugibela umqeqeshi bazothola isiphuzo esisodwa samahhala namabhokisi abo abandayo, kepha akusona isinxephezelo esiningi.
Ngenkathi i-Amtrak idalwa ngo-1971, enye yezinselelo zayo zokuqala kwakuwukululama emsebenzini owesabekayo owawusemabhodini wesitimela amaningi owawunikeze ngasekupheleni kweminyaka yama-1960. Njengoba bebhekene nokulahleka kwemali kwezinkontileka zeposi nokuncintisana okuvela emigwaqweni emikhulu yamazwe, abathwali abanjengoSouth Pacific balulaza izitimela zabo zabagibeli ezisele besebenzisa amaqhinga afaka phakathi ukukhipha izimoto zedina nezindawo zokuphumula. Ithemba lokuthi lokhu bekuzocasula abagibeli kangangokuthi bazoyeka ukuhamba ngesitimela, futhi othwala angathola imvume kuhulumeni yokuqeda inkonzo. Isibonelo esidume kabi isitimela esibizwa nge-SUNSET LIMITED, esivela ngo-1968 kuya ku-1970 sasithengisa kuphela ukudla komshini ngokugijima izinsuku ezimbili!
Ngokushesha u-Amtrak ubuyisele iminikelo yokudla neziphuzo efanele, ekhangisa ngokuthi “Senza Izitimela Zikufanele Ukugibela Ukuhamba”. Ngeshwa, u-Amtrak usanda kuqala ukukopisha la macebo ama-1960s, ehlisa isithunzi se-board esizodikibalisa ukuhamba.
Kungani lokhu kwenzeka? I-Amtrak ingaphansi kwengcindezi evela kwiCongress yokuqeda ukulahleka kwensizakalo yokudla, kepha le ndlela ayinangqondo futhi ayinasidingo. Ngabe olayini bezindiza noma izindiza bezindiza zizama ukwenza imali ngokudla? Vele akunjalo; lezi zindleko zakhelwe emalini yabo yokugibela. U-Amtrak ubekwenza lokhu futhi. Abadli bezitimela abakaze benze imali; bakhanga ibhizinisi. U-Amtrak uzogcina izimoto zokuphumula kuzo zombili izitimela. Abagibeli babaqeqeshi bangathenga izinto ezishisayo ezinjenge-burger ne-pizza. Kodwa-ke, lezi zinto ngeke zinikezwe njengezinketho zokudla ezifakiwe zabanikazi bokulala abebekhokha kakhulu ithikithi ebelifaka phakathi ukudla okushisayo emotweni yokudlela!
I-Amtrak inciphisa abasebenzi benkonzo yokudla kubasebenzi ababili abangaphansi kwalolu cwaningo, kepha isivele inikela ngokudla okuphelele okushisayo eCITY OF NEW ORLEANS, CARDINAL nase-ACELA enabasebenzi ababili kuphela. Kanjani? Ukudla okuphekwe ngaphambilini kufakwa kushisa okugcwele ebhodini futhi kunikezwe esidlweni. Kungani kungenjalo ezitimeleni zaseChicago?
"Labo abakhohlwa umlando bayalahlwa ukuwuphinda". U-Amtrak uyakwazi okwenzekile esikhathini esidlule lapho ujantshi wehlela kahle izinsiza. I-Riderhip yawa. Ukuhlazeka okwenziwa ebhodini kubagibeli bezimoto zokulala (njengoba kuhlelwe) kuzoholela ekwehleni okukhulu kokuhamba. Okwe-FY2018, i-Amtrak isanda kuthola isabelo esikhulu kunazo zonke seCongress of National Network yayo emlandweni ($ 1.3 billion). Njengamanje ithatha ukulethwa kwezimoto zokudlela ezintsha ezingama-25 zenethiwekhi yayo esempumalanga. Amakhishi amasha kulezi zimoto anganikeza kalula insizakalo yokudla okushisayo ngaphandle kompheki ozinikele. Njengoba izigidi zabagibeli be-Amtrak bekhumbula “isidlo sakusihlwa esidlweni, akukho okungaba ngcono…” Amasangweji abandayo awenzi ibanga!
UCarl Fowler nguMongameli osethathe umhlalaphansi we-Rail Travel Center / Rail Travel Adventures. Usebenze isikhathi esigcwele iminyaka engaphezu kwengu-35 ethengisa ukuhamba ngesitimela emhlabeni wonke, kufaka phakathi u-Amtrak. UMnu Fowler uyiPhini likaSihlalo we-Rail Passenger Association / NARP. Lena imibono yakhe siqu.
