CRESTON, Iowa — About 50 Union County residents were on hand Monday for a meeting at the Creston restored Depot, the first in a series of sessions intended to raise public-awareness about passenger rail service in Iowa, the Creston News Advertiser reports.
Organizers said Amtrak’s long-distance trains – including the California Zephyr, which serves Creston – will likely shut down later this year unless Congress approves a bail-out package. Monday’s meeting was largely geared toward encouraging supporters of passenger rail service to lobby their Congressmen to support Amtrak.
“Critics of Amtrak continually point out that it requires federal subsidies to continue to operate. This is true,” said Henry Wulff, president of the Iowa Association of Railroad Passengers, which organized the meeting.
“But they fail to point out that other forms of transportation do, too.”
Wulff said roads and airports have both been heavily subsidized. The IARP, an affiliate of the National Association of Railroad Passengers, supports continued subsidization of rail service.
Wulff said his organization wants Congress to set aside the pending requirement that Amtrak become self-supporting by Sept. 30. Amtrak has been operating under that requirement for several years, but is financially strapped and is not going to be able to meet that deadline, Wulff said.
Amtrak officials have requested $1.2 billion for its next budget year. That’s more than double the $521 million proposed by President Bush.
Without full funding, Amtrak officials have said they will have no choice but to discontinue 18 costly, long-distance passenger trains to focus instead on its more profitable short-run commuter services.
“If Amtrak doesn’t get the $1.2 billion, it will be $500 million short,” Wulff said. “Then the easiest thing to do is to cut the long-distance trains. That saves about $200 million.”
Among the trains that could be discontinued are the California Zephyr, which runs through Burlington, Mount Pleasant, Osceola and Ottumwa in addition to Creston; and the Southwest Chief, which serves Fort Madison. Both trains run daily between Chicago and the West Coast.
Wulff said preserving passenger rail requires a commitment from Congress. That means a grassroots effort is needed to make sure Legislators know there is broad support. That sentiment was echoed by Creston Councilman Charles Lange, who attended Monday’s meeting along with several other council members and members of the Union County Board of Supervisors. Lange, who works as a conductor for Amtrak, said the possibility of a shutdown is very real.
“If you don’t speak up, politicians will assume no one is interested,” Lange said. “You’ll be driving, flying or staying home.”
A problem facing supporters, though, is the recommendation of a congressional advisory group, the Amtrak Reform Council. It’s report, released earlier this year, recommended breaking up the rail company and allowing private companies to bid to take over individual routes.
The report has been endorsed by many in Congress. Wulff said reversing that trend will require that lots of letters be sent to legislators. Copies of a form letter were distributed at Monday’s meeting along with a list of legislators and their mailing addresses.
Another meeting was held at 10 a.m. today in Osceola. Other meetings are Wednesday in Ottumwa, Thursday in Mount Pleasant and Burlington and Friday in Fort Madison.