Often these days in the transit community we see article after article about how X number of jobs are going to be created.  One of the quotes I’ve seen recently, on LA Metro’s Website for High Speed Rail, states 90,000 jobs created for building the high speed rail (HSR), somehow statewide they theorize 600,000 construction, and 450,000 permanent jobs.  I call bull.

Yes the work will create some jobs.  Some of those will be sustainable ongoing jobs, some will be for a few months.  It might be 90,000 jobs or it most likely would be much less.

However, one thing that is not mentioned is what will happen to all the jobs at the airlines and airport.

Do we really, as a pro-HSR & transit community think that HSR won’t be very disruptive?  When the high speed line between San Francisco to LA, and LA to Orange County and down to San Diego opens, almost every short distance flight within 500 miles will probably disappear.  Why do I say this?  Because it happens over and over and over again when high speed rail, even merely 110mph speed rail service it put into action.  The simple fact is, when a comparable trip can be made by rail people will not get on a airplane.

With that said, and something I just assume will happen, what about the workers in the airline industry?  This goes on the perpetuate the broken window scenario laid out many years ago.  Disruptive and especially destructive changes to the economy are only short term boosts during the repair.  Then the loss actually has to be compensated for and somebody ends up with the short stick.  In this scenario, the high speed rail will be very disruptive, but in the end there will not be a net increase in new jobs.  The airlines will lay off and probably sell or junk most of those short jumper planes.  Meanwhile the high speed passenger rail industry will take in some of those workers, the others will have to go find work elsewhere.

I’m not saying this is a bad thing.  Disruptive technologies, especially like high speed rail, are needed and a great deal in today’s world.  They are cleaner, cheaper over the long term, and provide people a much better traveling experience.  However, this continued bragging and politicking over jobs created is a myth.  Which, in politics simply equates to more lying.

In the end, we end up with no net new jobs from this Government intervention into the market.  It didn’t happen when they where dumping money into the airlines, it won’t happen when they disrupt things to dump money into the high speed rail.  Technically, if they wouldn’t have dumped the money in the first place, the market would have disrupted itself to run higher speed rail in California if the Government had not been dumping billions in to ever competing mode of transport at the time.

The railroads got shafted by the states & Federal Government, and now they’re the Golden Child again.  If the Government wants to have net positive new jobs, that are sustainable and economically feasible, they’re going to have to figure a way to get out of the industry and not be further disruptive in it.  But alas, I know we’re well past those days, but no reason we should accept the lies that the Government through infrastructure spending will somehow save our economy and create new jobs.

It has happened elsewhere, and even here in the US before, don’t fall for it.

It appears that the push for light rail continues throughout many communities.  Even in LA were the Metro was sued in order to increase bus service, is now stuck with trying to move to light rail after laying down BRT in various places.  When capacity is needed, going to BRT is not a smart move.  The Orange Line being a prime example, as a line that prevents ridership because it is at capacity, and was theoretically built because of the lawsuit.  (Wad, maybe you can add some specifics to that for me)  But anyway, look like South LA is bound for the flanged wheel.

But Detroit, is a completely different situation.  They actually have $125 Million in private money that has been put up for their $430 million dollar line.  Currently they’re working on a Federal Match.

During the Thanksgiving Holidays Amtrak rounds up some extra passenger cars and runs an extra train between Seattle or Portland.  The train usually consists of a few Amfleet 74 Seat Passenger Cars & a snack car with about 10 business class seats.  I believe the train often runs on the day before and day after Thanksgiving with even more cars, number 7-8 of the above passenger cars and the same snack car.  The extra passengers number between  300-1400 per day during the long weekend and days off.  The irony being, if we had the equipment full time Amtrak could very likely fill up the trains even then.

My father and I rode up and I’ve put together a story line of pictures for the trip.  Click on any of the photos to see a larger image.

My segment started at home.  I walked out and across a few blocks to board the north bound MAX to Union Station.  The first train that came along was a Yellow Line MAX.  During that time I say three streetcars go by which I snapped a few photos of.  I also decided a bit of sugar and caffeine was in order, so I stepped into the Seattle’s Best at PSU while waiting.  There I snagged a sellable couple of photos and sat watching the streetcars & buses roll by.

With the arrival of the Yellow Line I boarded and enjoyed by 8 minute ride to Union Station.  At this time of the morning, on a Thanksgiving Holiday, almost nobody was around.  I was the first on the LRV, which I took a shot of since it is a rare thing to see a truly empty MAX.  Upon arriving I entered the station to see, as expected, a massive line of passengers waiting to board the #502 extra.  Again, I sat and waited for the line to dissipate, and once there was only 2-3 people left, I stood up, walked to the counter and got my seating assignment.

Off to the train, seated, and rolling at a precise 9:00am, as scheduled.  We left Portland and arrived in Vancouver on time, were father boarded the train and joined me.  A short time later we arrived in Centralia, on time.

In Centralia we walked about the small one street downtown.  There is a coffee shop with their own grounds, St Lucia, that is a cool little place.  We got some hot beverages and then stepped outside to watch some freights rolling in and out of Centralia Station.

We noted the Kansas City Southern engine working the freight load, which is odd being that Kansas City Southern (KCS) is not often running anything out in these parts of the country.  After watching this train do some shoves and pulls we arrived back at the station where I took some Twin Transit photos.

After our short 45 minute wait, the Coast Starlight pulled in nonchalantly into the Centralia Station.  Everyone boarded in a a timely and orderly way, and with a few seconds to spare we were back rolling on the rails.

On the way back we enjoyed lunch on the train, with some pleasant co-riders heading to Portland themselves.  This being their first train trip I had to ask them how things were going.  Everything had been top notch for them so far, and they were much relieved that it was nothing like air travel.  Even waiting in lines wasn’t an issue while waiting for and riding the train.  I’m always glad to hear a first time rider who loves train travel.

Another train trip for the books.