(The Associated Press circulated the following story by Patrick Walters on September 26.)
PHILADELPHIA — On its Web site, Amtrak tells passengers to expect a scenic ride as they take the train from Philadelphia to Harrisburg.
What the cash-strapped railway doesn’t mention is the refuse that has piled up along those tracks – everything from bags of trash to dishwashers, washing machines and dryers – and the difficulty it has had keeping its 700 miles of track in the Northeast from becoming a permanent dumping ground.
The railway says the problem has plagued it for years and is tough to resolve because it only owns a small part of the land along its tracks and because it’s very expensive to wage clean-ups.
Efforts have proven very costly in recent years, especially in Baltimore and New York City, where Amtrak sent out teams of workers and machinery and built high fences, officials said.
The 105 miles of track between Philadelphia and Harrisburg are littered with junk, from appliances to motorcycles and shopping carts to piles of tires. “You name it, it’s out there,” said Amtrak spokesman Clifford Black. “They simply use the railroad as a dumping ground.”
Recently, groups have pushed Amtrak to clean it up, or allow another group to take care of it.
David Masur, executive director of Philadelphia-based PennEnvironment, said he recently sought out the help of a local nonprofit group that cleans up public areas for free.
Amtrak, however, only owns a small amount of land on either side of the tracks. And there could be problems dealing with property owners and liability concerns if another group were to do the clean-up, railway spokesman Dan Stessel said.
State Rep. Louise Bishop, a Democrat from Philadelphia, said one of her concerns is between West Philadelphia and Overbrook. Amtrak has told her of its financial problems and she worries she can’t send in volunteer groups because of safety and liability concerns.
“The signs say ‘No trespassing,'” she said. “How do we use a volunteer team when we cannot get over that fence?”
Amtrak is not opposed to cleaning up the tracks, even though much of the trash isn’t on its property, Stessel said. Because of safety issues, however, the railway generally discourages groups from cleaning up the rails on their own, Stessel said. Amtrak would consider allowing it only if a group came to them with a proposal they determined to be effective and safe, Stessel said.
Any clean up is challenging and expensive. From 1995 to 1998, Amtrak spent $3 million doing clean-up work and installing a fence along a stretch of tracks that goes from New York City’s Penn Station and over the Harlem River.
In Baltimore last spring, Stessel said, the railway spent two months and tens of thousands of dollars cleaning up ties, mattresses, lawnmowers and “every type of home appliance you can think of.”
All that work is costly and Amtrak officials said it makes it all the more important they get all the money they need from Congress. Stessel said the railway has asked for $1.8 billion this year, but both House and Senate proposals have fallen far below that request.