Governor's train tour backs Amtrak

A whistlestop train tour and town meetings across the Hi-Line on June 1-2 are aimed at drumming up support for the financially challenged Amtrak passenger-train service.

Gov. Brian Schweitzer will lead a delegation that includes politicians and top Amtrak officials. The tour starts in Glasgow on June 1 and ends in Whitefish the following day with a town meeting and barbecue at the Whitefish train depot.

"I've put this together to bring attention to the importance of Amtrak on our economy, not just of the Hi-Line, but the economy of the entire state of Montana," Schweitzer said in a prepared release.

Earlier this year President Bush issued a "zero" budget request for Amtrak, a move that would cut all federal funding for the national passenger-train service.

Amtrak nevertheless submitted a $1.8 billion funding request to Congress last month, an increase of $600 million over last year that Amtrak Chairman David Laney said is needed for capital improvements.

Laney is among the Amtrak officials who will attend the Whitefish town meeting. George Chilson, president of the National Association of Railroad Passengers, and Joe McHugh, Amtrak vice president of Government Affairs, also will attend.

Elected officials from all levels of government will participate, including U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., and Whitefish Mayor Andy Feury. Amtrak will attach a Beech Grove executive car to the end of the train to accommodate the dignitaries.

The train arrives at 8 a.m. June 2 in Whitefish, where a brass band will play as the delegation disembarks the train. The town meeting is scheduled from 10:30 a.m. to noon and will be followed by a meal of Montana-made foods.

"I'm expecting some very crowded meetings," Schweitzer said. "Amtrak is important to Montana, and this is a great opportunity for folks to show their support for something vital to our communities."

Amtrak has been on the federal chopping block more often than not in recent years, and Congress has wrestled with various funding scenarios with the ultimate goal of reducing federal subsidies to the point where Amtrak could operate on its own.

After last year's Congressional tug of war, Amtrak ended up with $1.2 billion, somewhat less than the $1.49 billion the rail service wanted.

The Department of Transportation Office of the Inspector General has urged Amtrak to focus on "viable" passenger operations, which means eliminating most of Amtrak's national network trains, said Ross Capon, executive director of the National Association of Railroad Passengers.

"Trains like the Empire Builder are in the gunsights," Capon said earlier this year.

Whitefish is the busiest stop on the Empire Builder's Chicago-to-Seattle route.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta has proposed a 50/50 federal/state funding partnership to preserve some Amtrak corridors. Under Mineta's plan, states that invest in rail improvements would be eligible for federal matching grants.

The National Association of Railroad Passengers supports Mineta's plan, but agrees with Amtrak that the federal contribution should be 80 percent rather than 50 percent.

"However, this partnership would be of no value if it simply replaces the foundation provided by the federal government through Amtrak," Capon said.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com