(The Great Falls Tribune posted the following editorial on its website on February 6.)
More and more people climb aboard a train in this country to get from Point A to Point B.
Some are frustrated with the hassles of air travel; some want to avoid busy highways; others simply appreciate the convenience. Whatever their reasons, travelers are driving up use of the nation’s primary passenger rail line.
In the past year some 600,000 new travelers pushed Amtrak’s ridership up 3 percent over the previous year. The Empire Builder, which passes across northern Montana, saw a 13 percent jump in riders.
That’s great news for Amtrak and a credit to David Gunn, who took over as CEO of the rail system nearly two years ago.
Increased passenger support, however, has yet to translate into increased political support.
The Bush administration proposes spending $900 million for Amtrak in the next budget year. That’s down $400 million from this year’s subsidy.
Bush’s plan won’t cover both the shortfall in operating expenses and the maintenance and infrastructure work that’s already been delayed. But with the tremendous deficit the free-spending Bush and Congress already have amassed, it’s unlikely Amtrak will see much more money this year.
Given the trillions in red ink, we’re hard-pressed to push for even more spending.
But that doesn’t mean we agree with Amtrak critics who say the railroad should be self supporting.
Yes, it must be run efficiently. But most passenger trains in the world receive government subsidies.
Taxpayers also fund highway construction, airports and port facilities, which subsidize trucking, flying and shipping. Heck, taxpayers even pay the government to “manage” Missouri River dam releases to benefit a tiny barge shipping industry.
If this country wants long-distance passenger rail service, Congress must come up with a better, long-term plan for paying for it.
In the meantime, Gunn deserves credit for his efforts to improve Amtrak. He streamlined railroad management, got out of the unprofitable freight business and put cost controls in place. He hammers away at the need for better service, efficiency and reliability.
And he’s seeing results. November was the railroad’s busiest month in its 32-year history, up 11.7 percent over the same month last year. The Empire Builder posted a remarkable 41 percent increase over the same period last year.
Every day, more riders see the value of government-subsidized passenger rail service.
We hope it’s not too long before Congress recognizes the value of that service and comes up with a plan to preserve it.