Rail Travel News is a twice-monthly print publication, published since Dec 10, 1970.
Publisher: Message Media Company,
PO Box 9007,
Berkeley CA 94709.
Website copyright © 1997-2006 by Message Media Co.

Visit our rail gift shop
 
 

   Congress is far behind in its work this year due to disagreements between and within parties. As a result, Congress may go into recess Sep 30 without completing the bill that includes Amtrak funding for the fiscal year that starts Oct 1. That would mean that a continuing resolution must be passed to maintain funding at the current level and keep the government operational until Congress reconvenes after November elections.

   An Amtrak spokesman told the press that the rail corporation plans to add service that the state of Illinois has requested on three routes out of Chicago, to Quincy, Carbondale and Springfield. This will happen at the fall timetable change on October 30.

   Amtrak's first president, Roger Lewis, was told by President Nixon that his role was to facilitate the orderly demise of the passenger train in America.

   As Alexander Kummant takes the reins of our national rail passenger corporation, the question is being asked whether he has been installed by Amtrak's Board to further the aims of the present Administration in killing off Amtrak.

   Early in 1974, when Amtrak was less than three years old, a major grassroots campaign began to oust Lewis, under whose leadership Amtrak was going nowhere. Lewis even tried to turn down increased funding from Congress. At that time NARP told the White House that "Lewis should be replaced with someone committed to the goal of modern passenger service and who has a background of solid achievement and experience in the railroad business" (Lewis came from the airline industry).

   Critics now are looking at Kummant's background and noting that the Amtrak presidency is the seventh job he has held since 1998 and most of them have been outside the railroad industry and none related to passenger railroading. Respected transportation editor Frank Wilner commented that "Kummant hops from job to job and around the globe as if tethered to a pogo stick."

   Wilner also pointed out that there probably will be a lot of "bloodletting" at Amtrak "and that is best achieved by someone having no friends within the organization."

   It seemed strange that Kummant offered no interviews upon his appointment. What would he have to say? Kummant is this week testifying for Amtrak before Congress. Can he show himself as "someone committed to the goal of modern railroad passenger service" and claim "solid achievement and experience in the railroad business" as was demanded of Amtrak's second president (who was Paul Reistrup)? Kummant did work for Union Pacific for 3 1/2 years, much of that time in industrial products.

   Time will tell whether Kummant is on the side of passenger train users or whether he is merely a stooge for the anti-train Administration and was appointed because of his large political contributions to Bush. Will we hear "You're doing a heckuva job, Alex!"

 Links to other recent news articles

Subscribe today!
For new subscribers
Renewing subscribers
To subscribe by US Mail
Request sample copy

Join or donate to the National Association of Railroad Passengers.

 Visit our rail gift shop