The Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes $8 billion for high speed rail. Generally, The Low Tech Times supports investment in rail travel. However, it is not yet clear how the $8 billion will be spent.
The Politics of Passenger Rail
Democrats support passenger rail in the United States, whereas many Republicans are opposed to spending on Amtrak. There are some notable exceptions, such as Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) and others who have supported Amtrak funding.
Democratic President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden are both supporters of Amtrak. Republican Senator John McCain, who was defeated during the most recent presidential election, is an Amtrak critic. Senator McCain is ideologically against government waste, and he categorizes Amtrak as pork. However, some have suggested he holds a personal grudge against Amtrak since his wife and son were onboard an Amtrak train that derailed.
Many Republicans feel that passenger rail should be self-sufficient and not require billions of government subsidies. However, it is not entirely fair to view passenger rail in this way since the government subsidizes highway and air travel by paying for airport construction, highway construction, air traffic controllers, etc.
Some Republicans, legitimately I think, also question whether Amtrak is wisely spending the money they are currently allocated. There is certainly no shortage of Amtrak complaints, which leads to a lack of confidence in Amtrak. Additionally, Amtrak routes seem to be determined by powerful people in Washington rather than what may make the best sense. Is tri-weekly 27 hour service between New York, NY and Chicago, IL via Hinton, WV really the best use of current Amtrak resources and equipment?
See Also:
Specific Mention of ATV Trails Stripped from Final Stimulus Bill
4 Comments
Until the price of oil goes back up, this will receive very little support.
John, you hit on a good point. I think driving and flying are cheaper options than rail travel for most routes. Thanks a lot for your comment.
Yes, Amtrak service to Hinton, VA is important. More important than to Chicago or New York, as they have other options.
Diving into the Amtrak ridership numbers one finds many examples of the little towns outperforming larger population centers. The Cardinal Route through West Virginia is one example. Back in the late seventies this train was routed away from Indianapolis because of track conditions and what happened was little Muncie and Richmond ended up contributing more passengers than Indianapolis had.
We spend about as much money on sending empty airplanes to rural airports (The “essential” air service program) as we do on Amtrak, but these planes carry a fraction of the ridership and do not serve as many towns as Amtrak does.
People from the cities have a “flyover” mentality that forgets about the towns in between. But for them Amtrak is a vital connection.
Christopher, thanks a lot for the information. I also understand the Cardinal used to run 7 days a week. If they could get over the road, turn the equipment and offer more frequent service, I think that would be a good thing.
Post a Comment