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AMTRAK, LONG-DISTANCE TRAINS, AND CONGRESSIONAL FUNDING

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[quote user="John WR"] [quote user="Sam1"]I have glanced at all the PRIIA studies. And I read in-depth the studies for the Texas Eagle, Sunset Limited, Pennsylvania Service Studies, and the Capitol Limited. The PRIIA studies recommended improvements that might have reduced the losses associated with the long distance trains, but they did not eliminate them. And we are talking just about the operating losses.[/quote] What strikes me, Sam, is that the significant change that came out of PRIIA is that the Federal Government will no longer provide funds for intercity trains within the same state except in Pennsylvania.   I can understand the logic that a state should pay for transportation within its own borders.  However, that same logic is not applied to interstate highways within the border of a single state.    As you point out, no changes have been made in long distance trains despite recommendations.   John [/quote] At the beginning, if I remember correctly, the states paid 20 per cent of the cost of building the interstate highways in their state.  Subsequently, the formula was changed to 10 per cent. The Interstate Highway System is a true national system. So too is the airways system. Accordingly, it makes sense to have the federal government contribute the lion's share of the cost, although irrespective of who funds it, the money comes from the users and taxpayers. Outside of the long distance trains, most of the State Supported and Other Short Corridor trains serve only a state or region.  They are not national systems.  Requiring the states to fund them makes sense. People in Illinois should not be required to fund intrastate trains in Texas any more than Texans should be required to fund trains that only serve Florida. Some argue that the long distance trains are part of a national passenger rail system and, therefore, they should be funded by the federal government. They are!  Big time!  At a substantial loss! For one train a day in most locations, many of which are called on in the middle of the night. Arguing that the long distance trains constitute a true national rail passenger system is a stretch.
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