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Index to recent news postings Rail Travel News is a twice-monthly print publication, published since
Dec 10, 1970.
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The existence of, and thus
the funding of Amtrak have met with resistance and hostility in Washington
ever since the inception of Amtrak in 1971. The negative stance of the
present administration toward rail passenger service is nothing new, and
has been found in every administration over the history of the rail corporation.
What are the sources of this hostility? There are various opinions, but in the view of RTN they stem mainly from the oil industry, and secondarily from the auto and airline industries. It is well know that a huge majority of Americans either like or love trains or want to have them available even if they don't use them regularly. Those who view trains most favorably often envision an expanding network of passenger trains along the lines of pre-World War II service. These facts are not lost on the oil industry and its lobbyists. They must view Amtrak as a threat that could get out of control, possibly greatly diminishing the auto and air industries, our biggest users of petroleum. Lobbying for the oil industry far outweighs any lobbying done for passenger trains. The issue of government subsidies to passenger trains is probably of lesser concern, especially since the amounts involved are quite minor compared to those alloted to the other modes. However, the subsidies are made to seem as the major lissue, in a smokescreen that obscures the perceived threat of rail travel as an expanding mode of transportation. The anti-Amtrak push is probably stronger in the present administration because it is so closely allied with the oil industry: both the President and the Vice-President have close ties to oil. As the administration tries to make a strong anti-rail case, while disguising it as a supportive one, the DOT has taken to greatly exaggerating the "negative" aspects of Amtrak operations. The number of lies and exaggerations made by the DOT in a way suggests that they realize they have an unconvincing case without the lies. Below is NARP's response to the latest DOT- Mineta diatribe aimed
at the Empire Builder. (The Empire Builder whistle-stop tour continues
today.)
Glasgow, Montana--Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta yesterday attacked Amtrak for not "providing shorter distance, more frequent corridor services in states like Montana." This despite the fact the ideal role for passenger rail in Montana is exactly the role served by Amtrak's popular Empire Builder, whose FY 2004 ridership was 437,200, up 5% from the previous year. Montana's largest city has fewer people than Trenton, New Jersey. Only one non-stop flight a day (with 19 seats) links Montana's two largest cities, even though they are 340 miles apart. So it is ridiculous to talk about "frequent corridor" trains here. American taxpayers across Montana are rallying today at Glasgow, Havre, Shelby, and Whitefish to support the Empire Builder. Mineta's statement about running "frequent corridor services" in Montana, and his overstatement of long distance train losses (2nd bullet, below), appear to be part of a willful pattern of misrepresenting the facts to kill the service. Indeed, he appears willing to say just about anything to make Amtrak look bad even though, as an Amtrak board member, he has a fiduciary responsibility to speak to the facts. His repeated failure to do so creates chaos and confusion over an issue that needs a rational and non-pejorative discussion. NARP agrees that communities like Billings and Missoula should have trains, but it is absurd to attack Amtrak for a decision that Mineta's own agency made twice-when Amtrak was first established in 1970 and again in 1979. U.S. DOT's position was that Montana could have only one route, and the northern route deserved priority because it lacked other transportation options. It is equally absurd for Mineta to say that "the 12 Montana cities with [Amtrak] stops represent just 3½% of Montana's population," even though Montanans from other communities-including Great Falls-drive considerable distances to reach the train. The Administration's plan-as well as its zero budget request for Amtrak-would eliminate all Amtrak service, not expand it. Our "Amtrak Fact Check" site consists largely of responses to previous erroneous statements by Mineta. He repeated some of those statements yesterday and added new mistakes. http://www.narprail.org/default.asp?p=resources%2Ehtm * Total "ons and offs" at Montana stations in FY 2004 were 129,044. Mineta, however, highlighted the "fewer than 13,000 Montanans" he says "are able to use the train to travel within the state each year," even though interstate travel is the train's main purpose. * Mineta: "Nation-wide Amtrak lost over $908 million last year on its long distance trains." Fact: DOT Inspector General Kenneth Mead and Amtrak Chairman David Laney (a Bush appointee) testified May 12 that eliminating all long-distance trains would save only $300 million. * Mineta: The Empire Builder line "was built in the late 1800's and hasn't changed much since." This proves nothing, since the same could be said of many transportation routes, and almost all rail lines. * Mineta: "The Alaska Railroad runs long distance trains that combine first-class travel cars owned and operated by cruise lines, along with its own cars." Fact: The Alaska train in question is a daylight-only, 12-hour, 350-mile run, not a long-distance train. For this reason, and because it traverses some of the planet's most spectacular scenery, it is of little relevance to Amtrak's long-distance trains. --NARP. AMTRAK VERSUS MINETA IN MONTANA:
THE STRANGE BATTLE OVER THE EMPIRE BUILDER
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DOT'S MINETA HARASSING AMTRAK &
AMTRAK'S REPLY TO THE MINETA LETTER
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