(The Associated Press circulated the following story on July 28.)
MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. — Amtrak passenger Bruce Campbell finds it relaxing to sit back on a train and watch the world go by.
“It’s a very stress-free mode of travel,” the 61-year-old Midland resident said last week as he waited at the East Lansing station with his wife to board an Amtrak train bound for Chicago.
“I wasn’t going to drive in Chicago traffic,” he said. “This to me was just the easiest way.”
Despite loyal passengers such as the Campbells, riding the rails in Michigan is likely to remain an endangered way to travel.
Amtrak operates two state-subsidized lines in Michigan, one running from Port Huron to Chicago and another from Grand Rapids to Chicago. The Detroit-to-Chicago Amtrak passenger service does not receive state funding.
Lawmakers this year approved $7.1 million in state money to continue the subsidies, up from a previous maximum of $5.7 million. The appropriation, for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1, came after warnings by Amtrak that it otherwise would shut down the two rail lines.
But the struggle to secure enough state funds is ongoing. Amtrak also faces a fiscal fight in Washington and the reluctance of state and federal lawmakers to help a system many see as inefficient, costly, inconvenient, rude and unnecessary.
State Rep. Loren Hager, R-Port Huron Township, played a key role in getting increased state funds for Amtrak this year. But he warns the rail service remains in trouble.
“Amtrak should not take this for granted,” said Hager, who has many constituents who depend on the Toronto-Chicago rail line. “This is 1-year extension, so the key to the whole thing is to work real hard in the next fiscal year to improve Amtrak’s operation and ridership.”
He said Amtrak must promote its service better, reverse the unstaffing of train stations and generally provide more effective, friendlier service on its trains.
If that doesn’t happen, he said, Amtrak may not be able to silence its critics and keep its subsidized lines running.
“I see this year as a major test for the company,” he said. “Now it’s up to them to prove themselves.”
Rep. Jacob Hoogendyk, R-Portage, was among lawmakers who thought the subsidy cap should remain at $5.7 million. He doesn’t see any evidence that continued federal and state support will result in Amtrak becoming self-sufficient.
“How deep in the hole are you going to go to help a guy who can’t get there any other way?” Hoogendyk asked. “Government is subsidizing something that’s inefficient and doesn’t seem to be improving at all.”
Amtrak said 14 states provided subsidies in the 2002 fiscal year, ranging from $750,000 in New York to $72.3 million in California.
An Amtrak spokeswoman expressed appreciation for Michigan’s increased financial support, and said it boded well for the future.
“That showed us a commitment to passenger rail in the state of Michigan,” said Karina Van Veen, manager of Amtrak media relations in Washington.
“The fact they do provide subsidies indicate they want to provide their population with a transportation system that provides alternatives,” she said. “We would be interested in a multiyear program” involving Michigan support.