June 22, 2008
PARALLEL UNIVERSE: All Aboard! Amtrak Boasts Record Ridership as Fuel Prices Skyrocket
By David M. Kinchen
Special to Huntingtonnews.net
You miss many things in the U.S. when you're living abroad, as I am; high on the list of Stateside amenities I REALLY miss is Amtrak.
Readers who've been following my commentaries won't be surprised at that statement: My heart is on my sleeve when it comes to rail passenger service. As a friend in Texas puts it, I wear my allegiance to Amtrak like a sheriff's star on my chest. It's an incredibly efficient way to transport people in a civilized manner. I love to take the train and I hate to fly, especially when I'm crammed like a sardine into the middle seat!
Don't take my word for it; the New York Times on June 21 -- the first day of summer when people are traveling in massive numbers -- has a story (link: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/21/business/21amtrak.html?th&emc=th) headlined "Travelers Shift to Rail as Cost of Fuel Rises."
The Cinderella of American transportation -- the mean older stepsisters are the Bush Administration and the short-sighted legislators who want to kill Amtrak -- would rank as the eighth largest airline, in terms of passenger boardings, behind "Continental and US Airways and ahead of AirTran and JetBlue," according to the story.
We're talking about 25 million intercity passenger boardings last year and the cash-starved stepchild is on the way to board a record 27 million passengers this year, the story notes.
Cash-starved? Hasn't Amtrak received more than $30 billion in federal aid since it was created in 1971? Yes, but that amounts to less than $1 billion a year, a drop in the bucket compared with what our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are costing.
The article details the deferred maintenance that every Amtrak passenger is aware of, including ancient coaches that are incredibly expensive to maintain -- and a declining number of them, at that. Anyone who has traveled in Europe will compare our ancient rolling stock with the modern equipment on European trains.
Why can't Amtrak be profitable, given the ridership and increased fares? The article -- and I urge everybody to read it -- points out that profits are unlikely, despite that $30 billion, because of the company's "extensive deferred maintenance." Too, Amtrak has to pay for diesel fuel on many non-electrified runs -- all the trains that cross West Virginia, for instance.
I've checked with the West Virginia congressional delegation and found unanimity on Amtrak: Both senators and all three representatives are solidly behind Amtrak. As my wife would say: "Bless their dear hearts!" The lone GOP representative, Shelley Moore Capito, departs from the Bush Administration party line that calls for privatization of Amtrak. Good for her (McCain could do far worse than choose Capito as his vice presidential running mate.)
Speaking of McCain, he represents the third term of George W. Bush when it comes to Amtrak: the article points out that McCain was a "staunch opponent of subsidies to Amtrak when he was chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee. Barack Obama, the probable Democratic nominee, was a co-sponsor of the Senate version of the bill to provide an 80/20 financing match."
Obama knows how important train travel is to his hometown of Chicago -- and the American people. Obama and McCain are both millionaires who don't have to scrimp and save to travel, but Obama is on the right track -- the Amtrak track.
So, if you want to travel and hate flying, pick up the phone, call 1-800 USARAIL and pray that the train you want isn't sold out. Many popular trains are sold out for weeks in advance. The traveling American is smarter than the Bush Administration: But you knew that!
* * *
Editor's note: The photo accompanying this commentary shows The Crescent, which connects New York City and New Orleans, 1,377 miles. The Crescent (Trains 19 and 20) passes through more states than any other Amtrak route.
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PARALLEL UNIVERSE: All Aboard! Amtrak Boasts Record Ridership as Fuel Prices Skyrocket
By David M. Kinchen
Special to Huntingtonnews.net
You miss many things in the U.S. when you're living abroad, as I am; high on the list of Stateside amenities I REALLY miss is Amtrak.
Readers who've been following my commentaries won't be surprised at that statement: My heart is on my sleeve when it comes to rail passenger service. As a friend in Texas puts it, I wear my allegiance to Amtrak like a sheriff's star on my chest. It's an incredibly efficient way to transport people in a civilized manner. I love to take the train and I hate to fly, especially when I'm crammed like a sardine into the middle seat!
Don't take my word for it; the New York Times on June 21 -- the first day of summer when people are traveling in massive numbers -- has a story (link: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/21/business/21amtrak.html?th&emc=th) headlined "Travelers Shift to Rail as Cost of Fuel Rises."
The Cinderella of American transportation -- the mean older stepsisters are the Bush Administration and the short-sighted legislators who want to kill Amtrak -- would rank as the eighth largest airline, in terms of passenger boardings, behind "Continental and US Airways and ahead of AirTran and JetBlue," according to the story.
We're talking about 25 million intercity passenger boardings last year and the cash-starved stepchild is on the way to board a record 27 million passengers this year, the story notes.
Cash-starved? Hasn't Amtrak received more than $30 billion in federal aid since it was created in 1971? Yes, but that amounts to less than $1 billion a year, a drop in the bucket compared with what our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are costing.
The article details the deferred maintenance that every Amtrak passenger is aware of, including ancient coaches that are incredibly expensive to maintain -- and a declining number of them, at that. Anyone who has traveled in Europe will compare our ancient rolling stock with the modern equipment on European trains.
Why can't Amtrak be profitable, given the ridership and increased fares? The article -- and I urge everybody to read it -- points out that profits are unlikely, despite that $30 billion, because of the company's "extensive deferred maintenance." Too, Amtrak has to pay for diesel fuel on many non-electrified runs -- all the trains that cross West Virginia, for instance.
I've checked with the West Virginia congressional delegation and found unanimity on Amtrak: Both senators and all three representatives are solidly behind Amtrak. As my wife would say: "Bless their dear hearts!" The lone GOP representative, Shelley Moore Capito, departs from the Bush Administration party line that calls for privatization of Amtrak. Good for her (McCain could do far worse than choose Capito as his vice presidential running mate.)
Speaking of McCain, he represents the third term of George W. Bush when it comes to Amtrak: the article points out that McCain was a "staunch opponent of subsidies to Amtrak when he was chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee. Barack Obama, the probable Democratic nominee, was a co-sponsor of the Senate version of the bill to provide an 80/20 financing match."
Obama knows how important train travel is to his hometown of Chicago -- and the American people. Obama and McCain are both millionaires who don't have to scrimp and save to travel, but Obama is on the right track -- the Amtrak track.
So, if you want to travel and hate flying, pick up the phone, call 1-800 USARAIL and pray that the train you want isn't sold out. Many popular trains are sold out for weeks in advance. The traveling American is smarter than the Bush Administration: But you knew that!
* * *
Editor's note: The photo accompanying this commentary shows The Crescent, which connects New York City and New Orleans, 1,377 miles. The Crescent (Trains 19 and 20) passes through more states than any other Amtrak route.
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