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| Railroad officials host Iraqi counterparts |
| 2004-01-31 |
| Six Iraqi railroad officials visited Union Pacific Corp. and Amtrak facilities this week as they review technology to help rebuild the Middle Eastern country’s rail system. Modern communications systems, equipment to rebuild tracks and locomotives are among items that interest officials from the Iraq Republic Railways Co., said Dan Stein of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. Visiting Union Pacific and Amtrak allows them to see that equipment in action, Stein said. Some rails in Iraq were damaged during the war, but the country also had failed to invest in its railroad system, Stein said. About $200 million has been earmarked by Congress to help rebuild Iraq’s rail system, Stein said. The Iraqis, including the director general of the Iraq Republic Railways Co., Salam J. Salom, spent three days in Chicago before taking Amtrak to Omaha and visiting Union Pacific facilities Thursday and Friday. The Iraqi delegation will meet Monday in Washington, D.C., with executives from companies like General Electric and General Motors as they look for equipment, Stein said. Please model the new rail system after UP and not Amtrak! |
| Posted by:Dar |
| #4 Never made much since to me to take the train. Pay almost as much for a train ticket as it cost to fly,+plus you have to buy meals for 2-3 days. |
| Posted by: Raptor 2004-2-1 9:22:45 AM |
| #3 BNSF would probably be a better choice if they wanted to see a good example of efficiency in action and a well-managed company. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-1-31 11:03:08 PM |
| #2 Nobody's, I mean nobody's state run pasenger rail system makes money. If you could take short distance rail and get there faster than flying how much is that worth to you. The perfect example in this counrty is the NorthEast Corridor. This is one area where Amtrak does a pretty good job even with the constrainsts that freight traffic puts on the system. With the growing amounts of air line passengers and the limited amount of people the airports can process in and out every hour let alone day eventually we will come to realize that with modern high speed rail there is a certain range in which it makes no sense to fly. I'm guessing the distance is 400 to 500 miles when all is said and done. We've subsidized the automobile and trucks for years plus the airlines. After all do you really think SouthWest paid for the airport? |
| Posted by: Cheddarhead 2004-1-31 7:47:18 PM |
| #1 Mike Dukakis didn't go over to fill them in on the success story that's Amtrak? He's some kind of big shot hack for them now. I think he's a railroad expert because he used to take the subway to the governor's office in those dark, dark days here way back when. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2004-1-31 7:00:25 PM |