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Saturday, September 22, 2001
By Laurence Arnold, The Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- The long-running debate over the future of Amtrak and high-speed trains is advancing with a new sense of urgency after the terrorist attacks that wounded the nation's aviation system.
Some Amtrak supporters in Congress say the federal government should declare that it supports maintaining a national network of rail service whether or not it can be profitable.
"I would suggest strongly that investment in Amtrak and high-speed rail makes more sense now than before this horrible tragedy," said Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore.
DeFazio, a member of the House Transportation Committee, said Congress should repeal the 1997 law requiring Amtrak to break even in its annual operations by 2003 or face dissolution. "It was never a good idea, and in a time of crisis like this, it's a stupid idea," he said.
Even some critics of Amtrak say the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks highlighted the need to develop high-speed train service.
Many stranded travelers used Amtrak to get home after airlines were grounded for two days. And Amtrak registered a 17 percent gain in ridership during the following six days after planes returned to the skies. It expects to maintain a 10 percent increase at least through late next week.
"The events of September 11 show us that we cannot rely solely upon one mode of transportation," said Paul Dempsey, director of the National Center for Intermodal Transportation at the University of Denver.
Dempsey predicted that Amtrak will see "significant, long-term improvement in ridership." He noted the terrorist attacks have hurt Amtrak's chief competition in the busy Northeast -- the airline shuttles that normally use Reagan National Airport in Washington, which remains closed due to security concerns.
But Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., a member of the Transportation Committee, said the numbers show "only a temporary increase in ridership." He said he still favors dissolving Amtrak and turning passenger rail over to private companies.
"You can't do a knee-jerk decision because of what's going on this week," he said.
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., a leading critic of Amtrak, said through a spokeswoman yesterday that Congress should take this opportunity to hold an "open debate" on the future of rail passenger service.
Congress may soon take up two competing versions of legislation designed to build high-speed train routes in highly populated areas around the country. One bill would put Amtrak in control of how the money is spent; the other, designed to appeal to Amtrak critics, would assign that authority to interested states.
A more immediate debate concerns Amtrak's request this week for $3 billion for security and service improvements. Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., said he believes Congress will address the request in the next two weeks.
"I don't think we can dismiss any threat when it comes to terrorism," he said. "We understand the focus on transportation and areas where crowds gather, so it's an important issue we should move on quickly."
The railway says half of the $3 billion would go toward modernizing tracks and putting more cars into service. The other half would pay for anti-terrorism security measures nationwide and for safety improvements to aging railroad tunnels around New York, Washington and Baltimore.
But the Amtrak Reform Council, formed by Congress to monitor the railroad's finances, has proposed stripping tracks and tunnels from Amtrak ownership. Its executive director, Tom Till, said Congress could instruct Amtrak to form a subsidiary corporation to oversee any emergency funds for safety improvements.
Till said it is clear that Amtrak will attract more riders but unclear whether the increased business will affect Amtrak's bottom line, or its future.