New transportation sec'y asks for new funding, desires to RIDE int

[WICT106]

See link: New Transport Sec'y eyes alternatives to FeddyBuck$$

Time will tell if her impressions will make her favor intercity rail or not. Post your comments below.

 

[AmtrakWPK]

I don't see ANY encouragement here.

Peters said she embraces the Bush administration's push to reduce annual federal subsidies for Amtrak to help prod the national passenger rail system into replacing "a failed business model,"

Peters said some long-distance routes may have to be pruned in whole or in part from the system, particularly in areas where alternatives such as subsidized air service are available.

In other words, any place that has air service should not be provided with Amtrak service.
From the tone of that article, she is simply another Bush hatchetman. When/if she rides LD trains, she will be looking for things to criticise, things to damn, she will not be looking for anything good or meritorious. Hopefully after the elections next month we will end up with enough of a change in the composition of Congress that genuine bipartisan action will be required in order to do anything, and that in turn will require both parties to actually listen to each other and to consider the wishes and arguments of the other. (What a concept!).....

 

[EmpireBuilderFan1976]

Perhaps she should go one step further and "prune" air service where subsidized highways are available...

 

[Guest]

Maybe she will "prune" subsidized higways where subsidized walking shoes are available too.

 

[RailThunder]

Will be interesting to see what happens with the forthcoming elections. I would also hope that members of Congress will take a long distance trip on Amtrak as well. I'd be interested to know how they felt sitting on a siding or following a local freight ahead for a several hour delay at the mercy of freight carrier handling.

As far as talking with people on the trains themselves that is wonderful in terms of outreach however in terms of fact finding it is probably an insufficient sample of demographics. In fact riding the same train ten times would probably yield ten different opinions as well as experience. To quote an old Amtrak on board saying, "Every trip is an adventure."

With the country's population nearing 300 million and energy conservation on the national conscious rail is still a very economical way to move people.