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Article published Nov 23, 2004
Nation needs a goal to restructure rail passenger
service
One of the things the Senate will be missing as Fritz
Hollings leaves is a vision for rail transportation. The senior senator from
South Carolina has spent years encouraging his colleagues to think about the
high-speed passenger rail system this nation could have and the long-term
benefits it would provide.Unfortunately, most of Congress doesn't think that far
into the future. A report issued this week shows the danger of that failure.The
inspector general of the Transportation Department issued a report on Amtrak. He
pointed out that Congress cannot continue to keep Amtrak on a budget that barely
allows it to continue operating but doesn't allow it enough money to even repair
its bridges and tracks. Congress either needs to give Amtrak more money or it
needs to restructure the system and cut back on its service.That makes sense.
Amtrak's tracks, cars, locomotives and bridges need expensive work, but the
system has no money to spend on this maintenance. It either needs the money to
make repairs and improvements or it needs to cut its service.But members of
Congress don't want to give the program more money. They want to keep Amtrak
service to their districts, so they won't let it cut back. Year after year, they
maintain a deteriorating status quo. This year is no different. The inspector
general's report states that Amtrak cannot maintain the railroad in a good state
of repair with the $1.2 billion Congress has authorized.Washington needs a
vision for a rail passenger system in this country. A high-speed system that
takes some of the burden off commercial aviation, that provides better freight
traffic, that gives people affordable and quick transportation between major
cities would provide significant economic and environmental benefits to this
nation. But Congress puts the vast majority of its effort and money into
highways and aviation, ignoring the promise of high-speed rail service.Hollings
had introduced a plan that would spend $42 billion over six years to strengthen
Amtrak and expand high-speed rail service. Now that the inspector general's
report has demonstrated the futility of Congress' current course, its members
should seek that better vision.