Amtrak funding battle begins again

The perennial tug of war over Amtrak funding is under way, with Congress and the Bush administration once again at odds over subsidies for the passenger rail service.

The Senate recently passed its version of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act, which would authorize $14.4 billion for Amtrak over the next five years. The House version of the bill emerged last week, sponsored by Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont.

President Bush's 2009 budget request calls for cutting Amtrak funding by $535 million, or 40 percent.

In announcing the House bill, Rehberg said it is critical that the federal government lay the groundwork to provide ongoing funding for Amtrak's Empire Builder train that services Montana.

Amtrak's Empire Builder serves as many as 140,000 Montanans annually and contributes $3.2 million in wages for the Montana economy, Rehberg said. Direct spending by Amtrak travelers in Montana is estimated at more than $5.3 million annually.

"Many of my House colleagues don't understand that you can't just get on a bus to travel across northern Montana," said Rehberg in a prepared statement. "Instead, we rely on Amtrak. This bill will help ensure this essential service isn't lost."

The passenger-rail bill would provide money to maintain and upgrade the entire rail network and help to pay for salaries, health care, overtime, fuel costs and facilities.

Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said the Bush administration's proposal wouldn't allow the current rail network to operate at the level it is today. Whether or not it would affect the Empire Builder route from Chicago to Seattle/Portland remains to be seen, he said.

Amtrak operates more than 300 trains on 21,000 miles of track nationwide.

IN DECEMBER 2007, after months of wrangling, Congress OK'd $1.325 billion for Amtrak as part of its fiscal 2008 omnibus spending package, a 2.4 percent increase over the previous year, but $255 million less than Amtrak requested.

The deal included $30 million to reimburse states for capital costs of improving existing intercity passenger rail service and providing new service, with the federal share limited to a maximum of 50 percent of a project's cost.

The National Association of Rail Passengers, the largest citizen-based advocacy organization for train and rail-transit passengers, applauded the fiscal 2008 package.

"Congress yet again rescued Amtrak from an administration starvation budget," association executive director Ross Capon said on the group's Web site.

The association now is urging its 23,000 members to contact their congressional delegations and voice their support of the Senate and House versions of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act.

"The bill provides for common-sense Amtrak reform and operational improvements," Capon said … and "provides for capital assistance for states and development of state rail plans."

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