(The following editorial appeared on the Buffalo News website on November 7.)
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Official Washington has never been willing to give Amtrak, the American passenger rail service, the same official respect that its European and Japanese cousins always get. But growing demand for the service, egged on by higher energy costs and, now, a declining economy, might finally inspire the federal government to get on board.
The United States always has been out of the loop on the need for a modern nation to have an efficient, accessible rail transportation system. But the intersection of many events now indicates that our leaders may be getting the message.
Amtrak has just reported record ridership for the year ending Sept. 30. The latest total of 28.7 million passengers is up 11 percent from the year before, and is the sixth straight year of increased ticket sales.
Ridership on the Empire Service line, which links Buffalo with Albany and connects to New York City, is up 23 percent. Its on-time rate, between 75 percent and 80 percent, needs improving — largely because most passenger trains now travel on tracks owned by freight railroads that, predictably enough, give priority to freight trains. And eight hours is indeed a long time to spend sitting in a train, even to get to downtown Manhattan.
But the Amtrak fare from downtown Buffalo to New York’s Penn Station is generally cheaper than flying and avoids dealing with airports. Driving to New York is a little quicker than Amtrak, depending on the number of coffee and bathroom breaks taken, and bringing three or four others along would make it much cheaper. But those who travel alone can find that taking the train removes the risk of falling asleep at the wheel and the fuss of finding a parking spot once they get there.
Congress is fresh from approving a $13 billion authorization to improve the system, including $2 billion in grants for cities and states that add new passenger rail service between cities. President Bush, usually a reliable foe of Amtrak, signed the bill.
The bad news is that the same economic downturn that has people who now drive everywhere looking for lower-cost alternatives to monotonous commutes or expensive long-haul trips may also make it difficult to finance roadbed reconstruction or the creation of new lines.
But, as big-state governors and big-city mayors are pointing out, some serious investment in the nation’s transportation infrastructure — highways, bridges, ports, airports and railroads — would be a key part of any well-targeted effort to turn those economic woes around.
The price of gasoline has fallen below $3 a gallon in many places, largely due to the fact that many people just couldn’t afford to buy it at higher prices. If that caution disappears, $4 gas will doubtless return, if only long enough to see prices zoom even higher.
Add increasing concerns about climate change and other environmental problems, snarled highways and an air transportation system that is ever more unfriendly and expensive, and train travel does seem to be an idea whose time has come. Again.