Why can’t rail work?

Call me crazy. Call me young. Call me inexperienced. Call me naïve. Call me what you like, but I think rail in America can work. I know millions of armchair theorists before me have cussed and discussed the viability of a dependable rail system in America, and certainly plenty of people much more qualified than I have put in their thoughts. But perhaps that’s what makes my take on the issue different: my inexperience makes my ideas unbiased, innovative and visionary.

This may seem a bit egotistical, but I think there’s some truth in it. College students, or anyone with little experience in a field for that matter, bring with them a freshness and unlikelihood of being bogged down by negative thoughts when dealing with problems that industry leaders see as complicated.

Throughout my travels in Europe, the thing that has fascinated me most has always been the rail systems of all kinds. I wait no longer than three minutes for the next Metro train. I hop on a light rail train to the next city 30 minutes away for about the price of a sandwich and it gets me there quickly and easily. I board the high speed AVE train in Córdoba and a cool 45 minutes later I’m meeting friends in Madrid. Amazing. Simply amazing.

So why has America had so much trouble with its rail past? Why has the wonder of the transcontinental railroad turned into the disaster of Amtrak? Why am I being impressed with the relative ease of a 20 minute train ride from Oklahoma City to Norman when I have to drive 30 minutes to the station and have a friend pick me up at the Norman depot? That service is laughable in even the most inaccessible European locales.

Call me an optimist. Call me a visionary. Call me imaginative. Call me hopeful. Call me crazy. Call me what you like, but I think rail can work. This is what needs to happen:

1. End Amtrak’s monopoly on rail. Healthy competition among rail companies will spur them into creative thinking and better service. In fact, see if we can’t lure a European system in to operate stateside as well.

2. First item on the to-do list: put in high speed rail service between New York and Los Angeles. (This is where you call me crazy). Use only the best trains with awesome amenities to avoid stopping in a lot of cities. By building a transcontinental high speed service, it will give rail the kick in the pants that’s needed to start a revolution. Hey, it happened last time. Remember the Industrial Revolution?

3. Make high speed rail high speed rail. “High speed” trains in America are ridiculous compared to their European counterparts. Stop putting fancy labels on mediocre service in an attempt to WOW an uninitiated audience. Call me when your train can go at least 250 mph. Then I’ll be impressed.

4. You’re in the service and people business, not the transportation business. People are not widgets that simply must be transported from Point A to Point B at an optimal cost-per-unit basis. People want luxury, people want service. The airlines could learn the same lesson. We want to board a high speed train ready for us with WiFi, meal service, impeccable design and cleanliness, friendly staff, unambiguous protocol, comfortable and roomy seats and a transparency to the customer service. Yes, we demand a lot. But major bucks await the company that is willing to step up and provide rather than rationalize cutting costs at the expense of services.

5. Learn something from the Ritz-Carlton concept. I recently watched a presentation given by Horst Schulze, founder of that concept. It’s a great presentation given by an obviously great businessman and someone who seems to also be a great person. He said something that stuck with me, that basically any fool can come in and cut costs by cutting services. Anyone can. It takes an especially good businessperson, however, to be able to create efficiency and thereby cut costs without unnecessarily cutting services. He said he knows that he spends a lot on flowers in his hotels, and that people criticize him for doing so. He knows they cost money…DUH! But he’s not interested in simply cutting out all costs that aren’t necessary. He’s interested in creating efficiency, while keeping those touches that make for an unforgettable experience.

So, rail systems: take heed. Keep the flowers, or better yet get some flowers in the first place, but don’t cut our service, and don’t aim for mediocrity.