State funds Amtrak even in tough times

Thirteen years ago, Amtrak president W. Graham Clayton Jr. made a promise that he wouldn't come close to keeping: the rail system would operate without governmental subsidies by 2000.

He was way off. Last year, Amtrak lost a record $1.1 billion. This year, Amtrak has asked Congress for a $1.2 billion subsidy for the next fiscal year, which is a 130 percent increase over the previous year's $521 million.

In fact, Amtrak's current president, David Gunn, warned last month that the railroad would shut down before the year was out if it didn't get an immediate $200 million cash infusion.

As they say, this is really no way to run a railroad.

Here in Missouri, the fight also goes on to keep Amtrak from being derailed. The Missouri House passed a supplemental appropriations bill last month that included $800,000 in operating support for Amtrak. The Missouri Senate approved the bill last week.

Before the legislature stepped in, Amtrak had threatened to eliminate one of the two Missouri trains, which operate between St. Louis and Kansas City, if the state didn't come up with the money.

It's too bad legislators didn't call Amtrak's hand on it.

Our question is this: Why are we subsidizing Amtrak at all?

The rail service has a history soaked in red ink. Ticket costs don't cover expenses and never have in Amtrak's 32-year history, meaning it hasn't turned a profit once in three decades. Many of the carrier's routes lose more than $100 on each passenger on each trip.

Those alone are all good reasons to rethink the subsidization of Amtrak. Then throw in the fact that the state's budget situation has caused serious funding cuts, and the answer becomes clear.

Amtrak's troubles have prompted President Bush to want to cut several cross-country passenger rail routes from its 2004 budget, even though he's increasing overall Amtrak spending.

Something has to be done.

Critics correctly point out that Amtrak has become inefficient and well behind the times in a world of airplanes and interstate highways. A recent report by the Transportation Department's inspector general says that Amtrak is hardly any closer to self-sufficiency today than it was five years ago.

In the midst of recession, Amtrak is just now considering action that business owners have been looking at for the past two years: cutting back. It is looking at a $5 boarding surcharge and is eliminating staff at the Jefferson City and Kirkwood depots.

It's time for government to get out of the railroad business in areas where ridership is low. If Amtrak wishes to continue, let it charge passengers the full freight or cut out money-losing routes. Allowing Amtrak to continue failing and then bailing it out cannot continue. Amtrak officials should make some tough decisions and then make good on its long ago promise to operate without governmental subsidies.

If it can't -- or won't -- keep that promise, then legislators should keep it for them.