America’s hopes for a balanced national transportation system suffered a setback last week when the House Appropriations Committee upheld an earlier subcommittee action slashing the Amtrak budget by 55 percent.
Amtrak president David Gunn said the cuts would force a complete shutdown of the national rail system. Amtrak critics argued that their proposed $550 million is enough to keep trains rolling in the densely settled northeast corridor. Even if they’re right, Coloradans will still lose all service if Amtrak’s current budget of $1.2 billion isn’t restored.
The California Zephyr serves Denver, Winter Park, Glenwood Springs and Grand Junction, as well as linking Colorado to Chicago, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Omaha, Reno, and points in between. The Southwest Chief stops in Trinidad, La Junta, and Lamar on its journey from Chicago to Los Angeles, with service to Albuquerque, Flagstaff, Kansas City, and points in between. A daily bus connects Denver to the Southwest Chief at Raton, N.M.
Both trains would be discontinued under the House plan, which would eliminate any train requiring a subsidy of more than $30 per passenger. The Zephyr is subsidized $179 per passenger, and the Southwest Chief $290. In all, the House cuts would shut down at least 15 long-distance routes and two regional lines.
The Chief and Zephyr subsidies are high, but it is hardly fair to compare subsidies on such long-distance routes with shorter hauls like Washington to New York. Amtrak now carries 25 million annual riders to 500 stations in 46 states. The rail subsidies are not out of line when compared with taxpayer underwriting of airlines, ports, highways and other transportation facilities.
As just one example from air transportation: The federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation has taken over responsibility for paying an estimated $6 billion in promised pension benefits to 120,000 current and former employees of United Airlines. That single bailout would pay Amtrak’s entire budget for five years.
The House has wreaked similar havoc on Amtrak in previous years, only to see the funds reserved by cooler heads in the Senate. This year, we’d urge the Senate to not just put the national railroad back on life support but to approve the $1.8 billion sought by Gunn. At that level, Amtrak will be able to make the repairs and service upgrades it needs to be a serious transportation alternative.
Concerns with air travel security in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and our growing dependence on foreign oil make bolstering our railroads – America’s safest and most fuel-efficient form of transportation – more important than ever.
