Careful staging of the various components of the plan is essential to meeting the established goals. Proper timing and sequencing of development tactics is crucial to the best use of resources and manpower. A scenario has been developed in Amtrak 90 that maximizes the use of available equipment and phases in new trains, facilities, and routes in an orderly manner over an eight-year period.
Growth as represented by the development of capacity through additional trains, thereby increasing train miles, proceeds slowly during the first two years of the Amtrak 90 program (Figure 17, below). Only the remaining undelivered cars from a 1979 order placed by Amtrak and currently out-of-service cars upgraded to Heritage Fleet will be available in 1983 and through most of 1984. For implementation to proceed on schedule, it is necessary to place orders for new cars and locomotives early in FY 1983. Lead times for delivery run from 12 to 18 months, therefore, the earliest deliveries would be in late FY 1984. Annual passenger car and locomotive needs are set forth in Figure 18.
The most intensive level of system development planned in Amtrak 90 is scheduled for fiscal years 1986 and 1987. Large quantities of new equipment would be available by then and major infrastructural improvements would be completed. Although development could be spread out more evenly over the implementation period, to do so would delay attainment of the goal of profitability and increase the total operating subsidy required over the eight years. While equipment orders decrease after 1987, they still remain at a high level. The magnitude of these orders is expected to reduce unit costs. An annual procurement program will ensure manufacturers of a stable, continuing market.
The placement of additional trains and network expansion are carefully timed to take advantage of existing infrastructure and the best potential markets. High priority is given to those routes where Amtrak currently operates only one or two trains a day but where travel patterns indicate significant possible diversion to rail.
| Fiscal Year | Additional | Year End Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | - | 29,039,670 |
| 1983 | 2,363,010 | 31,402,680 |
| 1984 | 3,924,496 | 35,327,176 |
| 1985 | 9,711,820 | 45,038,996 |
| 1986 | 15,845,110 | 60,884,10 |
| 1987 | 20,180,120 | 81,064,226 |
| 1988 | 10,542,300 | 91,606,526 |
| 1989 | 9,264,430 | 100,870,956 |
| 1990 | 9,612,730 | 110,483,686 |
| Year | New Trains | Reserves and to Strengthen Consists | Total | New Orders | Conversions | Reallocated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 1983 | 92 | 60 | 152 | 50* | 96 | 6** |
| FY 1984 | 152 | 55 | 207 | 80 | 127 | |
| FY 1985 | 392 | 80 | 472 | 317 | 155 | |
| FY 1986 | 643 | 147 | 790 | 663 | 72 | 55 |
| FY 1987 | 842 | 134 | 976 | 846 | 130 | |
| FY 1988 | 429 | 64 | 493 | 421 | 72 | |
| FY 1989 | 362 | 57 | 419 | 419 | ||
| FY 1990 | 402 | 60 | 462 | 462 |
| Year | Number | Type |
|---|---|---|
| FY 1983 | 22 | F-40 |
| FY 1984 | 28 | F-40 |
| FY 1985 | 66 | F-40 |
| FY 1986 | 76 | X-90 |
| FY 1987 | 110 | X-90 |
| FY 1988 | 46 | X-90 |
| FY 1989 | 51 | X-90 |
| FY 1990 | 48 | X-90 |
* Balance of 150-car order (125 coaches, 25 food service cars) of Amfleet II design from Budd Corporation.
** Redeployment of cars from Superliner pool to permit San Francisco-San Jose section of Coast Starlight with through cars to Los Angeles.