Limit Amtrak to high-density service routes

With its December deadline for self-sufficiency, Amtrak faces a congressional decision: whether or not rail passenger service deserves more than a half-billion dollars in additional funding. Does Amtrak provide a viable transportation service, or is it a rolling museum? The likely answer is both.

When the National Railroad Passenger Corp., better known as Amtrak, began as a for-profit provider of passenger service in May 1971, it had both a huge federal subsidy and a congressional mandate to become profitable. In its more than 30 years of operation, Amtrak has never broken even. And without more than half a billion dollars more in funding that has been recommended by the Bush administration, top Amtrak officials say it will face a critical financial pinch in the fiscal year that begins July 1.

Amtrak has expanded its operations to 500 stations in every state except Alaska, Hawaii, South Dakota and Wyoming. From a political standpoint, it is the service to the other 46 states that gives Amtrak enough political clout to stay in business. The congressional delegations from most of the states served by Amtrak are loathe to see passenger service reduced or eliminated, even though most routes are unprofitable.

Amtrak, which is almost wholly owned by the U.S. Department of Transportation, has seen steady growth in passenger numbers, but those increases haven't come close to providing enough revenue. In fiscal 2001, Amtrak had 23.5 million passengers.

For the most part, Amtrak relies on tracks owned by freight railroads. With operations that cover 22,000 route miles, it only owns 730 route miles, primarily between Washington, D.C., and Boston -- the route corridor served by the Acela Express that hits top speeds of 150 mph.

A look at the top 10 stations served is telling. Except for Chicago and Los Angeles, the bulk of Amtrak's service is along the East Coast.

In addition to providing nationwide passenger service, Amtrak also is the nation's largest provider of commuter service for state and regional transit authorities. Besides its 23 million rail passengers a year, Amtrak served 54 million passengers under contracts to operate commuter services such as Caltrain in California and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Agency in the Boston area.

The Amtrak Reform Council, formed in 1997 to govern Amtrak, has proposed to Congress that Amtrak be split into three groups and that competition be allowed at some future date on some passenger routes.

Clearly, Congress needs to look at what's profitable and what's political. Amtrak routes in high-density population areas in the East surely can be made profitable. And contracts to operate heavily used commuter services on the West Coast and in the Northeast also have profit potential. But the service in most other regions of the country, including Missouri, serves low numbers of passengers while draining Amtrak's operational budget.

The Amtrak Reform Council's recommendations deserve serious consideration and refinement. Before adding another half-billion dollars to Amtrak's costly service, Congress needs to look at cutting Amtrak's service except in areas where demand will pay the bills.