(The following editorial appeared on the Troy Record website on March 10.)
TROY, N.Y. — For three consecutive years, the Bush administration has offered Amtrak half of what it says it needs to stay in business.
David Gunn, president of the beleaguered rail passenger service, has asked Congress for just under $1.8 billion for next year.
The president, however, offered $900 million in his budget, but would increase funding to $1.4 billion if Amtrak is re-structured.
The debate over the nation’s only passenger rail system is not likely to be resolved soon because 40 percent of Amtrak’s 24 million passengers are in the Northeast, while conservative lawmakers from those big, square states out west only see Amtrak as a money vacuum.
And as the debate groans on, much-needed repairs to Amtrak’s cars and infrastructure go begging. And with this lack of funding the past several years, the promise of high-speed rail service between the Capital District and New York City seems as rickety as the tracks that prevent the turboliners from reaching top speeds.
A bill currently in Congress called the American Railroad Revitalization, Investment and Enhancement Act of the 21st Century is being touted by Sen. Charles Schumer as the key to getting Amtrak on the road to long-term stability.
It would give Amtrak $1.8 billion. It would also allow Amtrak to start adding new service by forgiving or reorganizing Amtrak’s debt, including a $100 million loan held by the Treasury Department. One condition of that loan is that Amtrak cannot start any new service until it is paid off. It would also establish a Rail Infrastructure Corporation, which would be authorized to borrow up to $30 billion for rail projects, including the much-touted high-speed trains.
There is no question that a viable rail service is critical to our region. Not only in terms of heavy commuter travel between Albany and New York City, but the 400 jobs at the Rensselaer train station alone.
Amtrak works in New York state, but it needs high-speed service to get better. That’s why we urge our lawmakers to get behind the revitalization bill that is currently in Congress.