Editor,
Don’t you just feel a chill run down your spine every time you see Amtrak’s Southwest Chief pull into the downtown station bound for Chicago or LA?
I gave up flying altogether five years ago and have been traveling long distances exclusively by Amtrak ever since.
We are truly blessed to have the train run right through the center of town.
Traveling by passenger train is a fascinating experience from a technical standpoint, as well as ecologically (the Sierra Club loves it) and financially (the prices are dirt-cheap).
Train travel has also taught me that people are in too much of a hurry to get from point A to point B. I mean, what is everyone’s rush?
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Unfortunately, if you have never traveled cross-country by Amtrak, you may never have the chance: Amtrak is in danger of becoming extinct.
You may never know what it is like to eat outstanding food served to you on linen tablecloths by attentive waiters in the dining car.
You may never know what it is like to lounge in the observation car and watch the scenery pass by you.
Amtrak is very much on the chopping block this year. Although it may manage to survive on the East and West coasts, its long distance routes are in jeopardy.
The High Speed Rail Investment Act (S.250) is now before congress and if it passes, Amtrak will have the means to stay alive and improve its service. Sen. Jeff Bingaman is a member of the Senate Committee on Finance to which this bill has been referred and would like to hear from you.
Sen. Pete Domenici wrote me a personal letter on June 13. He writes, “I recognize the importance of Amtrak to our nation, and to New Mexico in particular. Amtrak provides many Americans with a viable alternative to air and highway travel.
“In addition, as America continues to grow exponentially, we must have the necessary infrastructure to utilize different modes of travel, including rail transit.
“Amtrak serves as a safe, energy-efficient mode of travel, providing transportation for Americans of all levels of income.”
In the United States, taxpayers spend more money on road salt than they do on passenger rail travel.
Consider the numbers: Last year we spent $33 billion on highways.
We spent $14 billion to support air transport.
But we only spent around $500 million on passenger rail.
Amtrak ridership has been going up dramatically in the past few years thanks to its low fairs, its “satisfaction guarantee” (the only guarantee of its nature in the travel business), and its new frequent-rider program.
The revenue generated by Amtrak has also gone up.
Furthermore, Amtrak is now diversifying its services to carry mail and freight as well, which will further cut its costs.
So why on earth would we want to disband Amtrak?
Highways and airports do little to generate money that will support their own infrastructure.
They contribute to urban sprawl, congestion, pollution and the mortality rate.
They are also the most fuel-inefficient means of transportation.
Write, e-mail or phone your senator or represenative right now and tell them that you want to see long-distance passenger train travel continue and flourish in this country.
If you haven’t traveled by Amtrak, you just don’t know what you’ve been missing.
Start your journey at www.amtrak.com.
Charles Reuben,
School of Engineering Copy Center Staff
