TUCSON, Ariz. — The last passenger train to Tucson may arrive soon as Amtrak struggles to overcome its budget woes, reports the Arizona Daily Star.
Amtrak President David Gunn has warned the nation that all service will be shut down next month if the passenger train service doesn’t obtain an emergency $200 million loan.
Even if Amtrak gets the loan – from private lenders – the Sunset Limited route that runs through Tucson was one of 18 long-distance routes threatened with elimination under a plan proposed in February – although Gunn has since stated that he would not support those route cuts.
Passengers and local rail advocates don’t want Amtrak to roll out of town – especially with the $6.2 million renovation of the historic Downtown train depot under way.
But critics believe Amtrak needs a drastic overhaul to make it efficient and useful.
The Sunset Limited – which runs from Los Angeles to Orlando, Fla., and passes through Tucson on the way – is often criticized for its low ridership and high operating costs.
Joseph Vranich, a former member of the Amtrak Reform Council who is based in Irvine, Calif., calls it the “biggest money loser.”
According to Amtrak, 110,000 people rode the Sunset Limited during the 2001 fiscal year, producing $17.7 million in revenue.
To put that ridership in perspective, Sun Tran buses provide 50,000 trips per day on weekdays in the Tucson area.
It cost Amtrak $56.1 million to run the Sunset Limited last year – a loss of $347 per passenger.
Vranich, who wrote a book about Amtrak called “Derailed,” said long-distance routes like the Sunset Limited waste taxpayer money and prevent the creation of other useful routes.
Shorter routes discussed
Vranich said states and other local jurisdictions should be able to create small passenger rail systems that would respond to local demand.
For instance, he noted there is no passenger train service between Tucson and Phoenix. He thinks that route – running on a daily basis – would be more valuable than the Sunset Limited, which runs through the southern end of the state only three times a week.
“Take the segments of (Amtrak) that make sense and build a train system that is marketable,” he said.
Those ideas have gained support. Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record), R-Ariz., proposed a bill in February that would have allowed the U.S. Department of Transportation to begin contracting out passenger train service to private companies in 2003.
The bill, which called for privatizing the entire Amtrak system within four years, did not make it to a Senate vote.
Congress is currently debating how to fund Amtrak for 2003. Gunn is asking for $1.2 billion to keep service at current levels.
Amtrak spokeswoman Karina Van Veen said Amtrak is focused on obtaining the $200 million loan from private sources to simply keep Amtrak running through the end of the federal fiscal year – Sept. 30.
She said no final decision has been made about whether long-distance routes will be eliminated. “It depends on when Congress completes the budget process. We won’t know what our funding will be until then.”
Supporters want investment
Dale Shumway, a member of the Arizona Rail Passenger Association, said the federal government should invest more money in Amtrak.
He thinks the money spent on passenger train service should be closer to what the federal government has spent to build highways and airports.
The U.S. General Accounting Office (news – web sites) published a report on Amtrak in April that stated “the federal government invested $225 billion in aviation systems and $607 billion in highways from 1971 through 2000.”
In contrast, Amtrak received $39 billion from the federal government from 1971 to 2002, the report said.
Shumway said extra funding would allow Amtrak to provide more frequent service, which he believes would boost ridership.
“The U.S. has a third-rate train service for a first-rate country,” he said.
Gregory Kloos, 34, took a train to St. Louis last week after visiting relatives in Tucson.
He criticized the train for arriving at the Downtown depot an hour later than scheduled.
Kloos also said Amtrak needs better food service, cleaner trains and cheaper tickets.
Despite his complaints, Kloos wants Amtrak to stick around. He doesn’t fly because of security concerns about airplanes.
“I don’t want it shut down. . . . I’d rather see them do something about service to get more customers,” Kloos said.
Depot work continues
While Amtrak’s future in Tucson remains uncertain, renovation of the historic Downtown train depot at 400 E. Toole Ave. continues.
The $6.2 million project to overhaul the depot started in November and should be completed in late 2003.
Kim McKay, project manager for the Tucson Department of Transportation, said the depot project will include facilities for the Old Pueblo Trolley, a Phoenix-to-Tucson shuttle service and rental car services.
She said a restaurant, a transportation museum, offices and shops also will be housed within the depot complex.
“Amtrak is kind of a key part of the renovation, but it’s not the only thing that’s there,” she said. “Of course, we’d love to use it for Amtrak.”
Thomas Fisher, intermodal transportation planner for the Pima Association of Governments, said the loss of Amtrak service in Tucson wouldn’t affect many travelers.
“It’s more symbolic than anything else,” he said. “It’s more of a tourist, leisure travel type of service.”
He said train travel loses its ability to compete with air travel when trips are more than 500 miles long.
But Fisher said traveling by train has its attractions.
“There’s nothing like riding a train. . . . It’s a wonderful experience. You really get to see the landscape in a different way than you do if you’re in a plane or on a highway.”