(The following article by Mark J. Konkol was posted on the Chicago Sun-Times website on February 15.)
CHICAGO — U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta flew to Chicago Monday to talk about trains, touting the return of an Amtrak reform proposal that never made it out of Congress two years ago.
That plan, first introduced in 2003, would require the states to pick up half the tab for Amtrak infrastructure projects, and require the cash-strapped railroad to run trains without federal backing.
This time the proposal has leverage: President Bush withheld all of Amtrak’s operating subsidy — in 2005 that was about $1.2 billion — from his 2006 budget plan.
And the White House doesn’t plan to come up with additional Amtrak funding unless Congress approves the reform proposal.
Mineta said the federal government can no longer afford to throw good money — about $30 billion since 1970 — after Amtrak, which he said is a losing investment.
For instance, Mineta suggested Metra take ownership of Union Station and the adjacent rail yards, which are dominated by commuter trains.
“Metra ridership in and out of Chicago’s Union Station is over 31 million passengers, while Amtrak annual ridership is 2.3 million. … But Amtrak owns the building and controls the schedule,” Mineta said. “That’s the tail wagging the dog.”
Still, Amtrak’s ridership improved by 4.3 percent with 24 million passengers in 2004, more than a million more than the previous year.
Metra agreeable
Metra officials have said they are in favor of taking control of Union Station as part of Amtrak reform but are concerned about what federal funds would be available for facility upkeep.
Mineta said once Congress addresses the reform proposal, the White House plans to issue additional capital funding — likely more than $1.2 billion — that would be distributed in 50-50 funding grants with the states.
State leaders are most concerned with Bush’s plan to take away the rail agency’s operating subsidy, which Gov. Blagojevich said would be a major blow.
Illinois’ U.S. senators, Dick Durbin and Barack Obama, oppose the Bush reform plan and proposed funding cut, saying it doesn’t work in Illinois.
“It strikes me that we should be making a greater investment in upgrading our rail system instead of eliminating the subsidies that already exist,” Obama said Monday.
“If you look at the amount of subsidies that we provide the highways relative to the subsidies that we provide rail transportation, it pales in comparison.”
Protesters picket speech
Protesters, a collection of Amtrak workers and rail advocates, picketed outside Mineta’s Union Station news conference.
Amtrak train director Kurt Bauer, a Transportation Communications International Union member, said there’s a need for Amtrak reform, but the president’s plan is just more tired political rhetoric.
“We do this every year. We do this every president,” he said.