(The following editorial was posted on the Albany Times Union website on October 14.)
ALBANY, N.Y. — Despite all the denials, the vote Wednesday by Amtrak’s board of directors to carve out the Northeast Corridor into a separate division has all the appearances of the first step toward dismantling the national passenger railroad. Amtrak’s board President David Laney says that’s not so, but it is up to Congress, which will have the final say on all of this, to make sure it doesn’t happen.
On the surface, the board’s action seems fiscally sound. It would place the Northeast Corridor, which runs from Boston to Washington, D.C., under the joint control of a consortium of states and the federal government. Amtrak would benefit financially because it would no longer have to pay the cost of repair and maintenance on the rail lines, even as it continues to operate trains in this heavily traveled corridor, which is the most financially successful link in the railroad’s network.
But how would the rest of Amtrak’s network fare? That question is pertinent in the Capital Region. While Amtrak’s Rensselaer-New York City run is popular with commuters, it is not considered part of the Northeast Corridor because Amtrak trains run on tracks owned by CSX, a private freight carrier, and other companies. That leaves this route in limbo. It could be designated as part of the Northeast Corridor later on, or it might be designated a separate entity, and on its own. If the latter is the case, could it survive?
Survival is also a huge question for many other Amtrak routes, especially in sparsely populated regions of the country. And even in densely populated communities elsewhere in the nation, such as the major cities on the West Coast and in the Southwest, mass transit takes a back seat to highway building and maintenance.
One way to attract more riders, and thus boost revenue, is to offer high-speed rail. But that may not be possible in the Northeast Corridor because, under the terms of the board action Wednesday, Amtrak would lose control over trains in this sector. It therefore would have no power to ensure its trains have priority over local traffic — a priority that is vital to any high-speed rail plan.
It’s no secret that Amtrak takes a back seat in the Bush administration as well. As Rep. Michael McNulty, D-Green Island, notes, the administration has “nickeled and dimed Amtrak for years.” The only friend Amtrak has had over those years has been Congress, which has traditionally restored funding cuts proposed by the White House. The House had already approved $1.4 billion for the fiscal year that began this month, and the Senate is expected to soon take up a committee’s recommendation for $1.45 billion.
The size of that subsidy may seem high, but not when placed in the context of what a national passenger railroad system means to this country. It would be indispensable in time of national emergencies, such as evacuations after terrorist attacks. And on a day-to-day basis, it could play a large role in reducing the nation’s dependency on foreign oil, if only the White House would make mass transit more of a priority.