Rail advocates can no longer afford the luxury of talking about the need to
bring back rail in a vacuum. That discussion needs to be held in conjunction
with all modes. The renewal of TEA-21, which will determine the national
direction and thus financing of all transportation over the next decade, is
just starting to be debated. As usual, rail is at the bottom. The US Dept. of
Transportation's website, under "surface
transportation reauthorization," provides no "rail" or
"Amtrak" comment
options to click onto, all of which gives an indication of the job ahead.
Meanwhile Sen. McCain (R-AZ) who now chairs the Commerce Committee, with
rail under its jurisdiction, is scheduling hearings on whether to
continue Amtrak, if so, at what level of financing; or how to reform
Amtrak by introducing private competition and cutting unprofitable
routes; to what extent the system should exist at all; greater state
involvement (i.e., subsidies) and the long-term outlook for intercity
rail (and transit for that matter).
It is no secret that the White House overwhelmingly favors highways and
airlines over rail; that the private automobile is ultimately the best
way of asserting America's "freedoms" is their firm belief.
