Effective Jan. 1, 2019, the new mileage rate will become $3.67 per mile, an increase of more than 12 percent from the $3.26 rate implemented on May 1, 2018. Prior to May’s tariff adjustment, passenger rates were $2.90 per mile as outlined in an Oct. 1, 2017 addendum to the private car tariff. In the past 12 months, Amtrak has increased private car costs by 77 cents per mile, or an increase of more than 26 percent during that period.
The passenger railroad is also increasing the costs of most other services, too. Overnight parking rates will become $174 each night, up from May 1 addendum of $155; monthly parking at Amtrak terminals will become $3,516 per month, up from $3,125; and the use of an extra locomotive to pull trains with added private cars will cost $5.74 per mile, up from the previous rate of $5.10 per mile.
Amtrak has also added other charges for the use of its locomotives, including a daily locomotive charge of $1,970 and a head end power daily charge of $2,692.
In its latest rate addendum taking effect Jan. 1, the railroad says it “reserves the right to change the terms and rates contained herein at any time,” adding that “private car moves confirmed prior to any such changes will be honored at the rates contained in the confirmation.”
In addition to the private car rates, Amtrak is restoring Oakland, Calif., as a point where private cars can be removed from — but not added to — the Coast Starlight. Oakland had previously been excluded from the list. The Oakland Jack London Square switch cost will be $2,065 per occurrence. The cars can then travel on the California Zephyr.
Aside from the tariff changes, Amtrak has also outlined lengthy conditions for the movement of private cars, including new responsibilities and guidelines for owners.
Section five under general conditions states that private car owners or the person in charge of a private car shall not offer business courtesies to any Amtrak employee. The document outlines business courtesies as “presents, gifts, hospitality, or favor for which fair market value is not paid by the recipient.” The railroad outlines meals, drinks, entertainment, door prizes, and transportation as examples of business courtesies, among any gifts or services with a value greater than $10.
The railroad has also outlined additional details as it pertains to professional conduct, inspection and repair guidelines, and insurance and liability requirements.
A prominent private car operator on the East Coast, commenting on condition of anonymity, shared these thoughts with Trains News Wire on Amtrak’s proposed rates:
• “The new charges and tariffs have an unjustified price increase with no standard scale of increase. Amtrak can increase whenever and however they deem fit without any oversight and no justification.”
• “All these charges are more restricting for small businesses that need to know Amtrak’s pricing way in advance in order to operate trips.”
• “Amtrak has yet to tell us what the actual cost is to haul a private passenger car on a regularly scheduled Amtrak train.”
The private car operator adds: “Amtrak has the monopoly on private cars and it seems that all they want to do is increase rates to a point of us not being able to operate. With all these unjustified rate increases, we are still not getting the level of service for which we pay,” citing issues with securing ground power at Amtrak terminals across the country.
A copy of the latest addendum can be found here.
