Check out **NARP’**s greatly overhauled website. It looks sharp and much more professional. Good to see that NARP is gettng more respect and seems to have its act together. [:D][8D][;)] What do you think of it? Here’s the link:
Amazing turn of events as more senators have voted to support Amtrak! Secretary Norm Mineta actually seems upset by this. He still persists in comparing Amtrak to the Alaskan Railroad’s operation. Does this guy even have a clue of what “Apples to Apples” means? [D)]
A pleasant surprise that even made the national news is that the Empire Builder, which had poor ridership a few years ago has been showing good patronage! Amtrak has it’s flaws, but they must be doing something right! [;)] This train is slated to receive updated cars and service ammenities.
As I’ve stated before, I continue to see the Silver Star almost daily when taking my wife to work. The crowds at the station seems to indicate that they like the service! I’m not just a railfan, but a passenger that has used Amtrak many times.
About blinking time they wised up in Washington. My guess is that the general population is a little fed up with trying to get on the plane and getting poked and prodded like a turkey in the oven; not to mention the more likely hood of your personal belonging being searched, confiscated and publically displayed for other’s personal amusement.
After all that, it would kind of spoil the mood for the vacationers.
You’re on track. Citizens are contacting their congressional representatives.
Unfortunately, it’s also a political game, since most senators that have Amtrak long distance trains running through their states would no want to be viewed as “The politician that voted to kill a transportation alternative”.
The President can still veto this, but since his ratings have slipped its hard to tell what his move on this will be since he is in his last term an unlikely to be impeached over this and other hot issues. All we can do is to jump onboard and contact our representatives.
Next year, I’m planning to take my family on vacation to either New York or New Orleans on the train. My last airplane ride on a 737 was far bumpier than Amtrak on a bad day!
I agree that the NARP site looks good. I am a member of NARP for the usual reasons. I lke their weekly updates as a clear report of the status of Congressional proceedings on Amtrak. Unfortunately, there is still a long way to go before the grant issue is settled for the next fiscal year. The full Senate will not act until September, then House/Senate conference will have to settle the differences, and off to the President. I do not think he will veto, because the Amtrak funding will be in the bill with all the other transportation funding as well as Treasury. Still, the funding could wind up being less than the Senate proposal, so only time will tell.
Hopefully Amtrak users will continue the pressure. Just my opinion but one misconcepcion among politicians and even railfans that persists in Washington is that many of Amtrak’s supporters are railfans that barely use the service.
Railfans are among the crowd, but according to past editorials around the country (yes, outside the NEC) many of Amtrak’s riders are non-railfans, use it as an alternative to driving, don’t fly unless they have to, and appreciate the comfortable spaciousness of a train.