(The following story by Caleb Hale appeared on The Southern website on June 25.)
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Should the governor make good on his threat to cut Amtrak train service in Illinois, the only train left passing through Carbondale would be the one arriving between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m., says the state director of the nation’s largest rail union.
Joe Szabo, with the United Transportation Union, said the $28 million subsidy being threatened by Gov. Rod Blagojevich if revenue streams for the state’s FY09 budget aren’t delivered would wipe out all but the City of New Orleans train, which only arrives in Carbondale from the Louisiana city in the early hours of the morning.
Szabo said he’s still trying to digest the governor’s move. The number of passengers riding Amtrak trains has seen high growth since the state increased the subsidy for rail transportation in the 2007 fiscal year.
“The growth in Illinois has been unprecedented. Frankly, what we have done in Illinois the past two years is become the poster child of success that all other state’s have followed,” Szabo said. “So, for the governor to call for these cuts is schocking.”
Blagojevich circulated a memo Wednesday detailing bills the House needs to pass in order to create proper funding for the state budget.
Dave Gross, government relations officer for Southern Illinois University — whose Carbondale campus students rely heavily on Amtrak for travel to and from Chicago — said it isn’t clear from the memo whether cuts in transportation would include all or part of the $28 million set aside specifically for rail service.
“At this point, you’ve got to look at the thing and look at the possibilities of losing that funding,” Gross said. “Two years ago there wasn’t a revenue source applied to the additional funding. At this point we should have a great deal of concern.”