[IL-Talk] URGENT! F Y I: I sent to il-talk, the List Serve of National Federation of the Blind of Illinois

[Steve Hastalis]

Hi.  All.  I have forwarded this correspondence from the Rail Users Network
(RUN) Here is our call to action to RUN members. It is based on input
received from members of our Legislative Committee.  Be sure to reach out to
your Reps and Senators in your state.  Thanks for all that you do.  Richard.
This correspondence supports the numerous resolutions NFB has passed
protesting service cuts, calling for more and better Amtrak and regional and
urban public transit service.

 

Dear RUN members.

 

URGENT!   

 

-Amtrak has recently announced that most long-distance trains will be cut
back to three-day-a-week service as of Oct. 1. 

 

-After July 4 there will no longer be two daily trains to Florida. (Auto
Train not included)

We need your help convincing Amtrak not to cut back services!!

Please be aware of these points when contacting your Legislators!

-Congress has provided $1.475 billion dollars to Amtrak through the passage
of the Cares Act to cover revenue lost resulting from decreased ridership
during the Covid 19 Crisis.  Lost revenue is not a legitimate reason to cut
services.

-Amtrak President William Flynn has deep ties to the airline industry which
will benefit from the service reduction, as they serve the same customer
base. This represents a potential conflict-of-loyalties, which must be given
oversight and scrutiny.

-The proposal to introduce "less-than-daily" service on all long-distance
routes except the Auto-Train in FY 2021 smacks of a conscious effort to
dismantle the national system altogether. 

-Reduction of schedules in the 1990's cost Amtrak more in lost revenue than
it was able to gain from lesser expenses, given the fixed cost nature of the
operation.

  

-Ridership is coming back: long-distance ticket revenues climbed 71%, from
$6.8 million to $11.6 million, between April and May, operating with
approximately the same frequencies, Northeast Corridor billing rose about
60% from $1.5 million to $2.4 million, and state-supported trains generated
less than a 50% increase, from $2.3 million in April to $3.5 million in May.
"The existing long-distance service provided almost double the May revenue
of Corridor and state-supported operations combined."  

RUN's Board of Directors is reaching out to Representative Peter Defazio,
the Chair of the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
as well as Senator Roger Wicker who chairs the Senate Committee on Commerce,
Science and Transportation, to express our concerns on behalf of rail
passengers across America.

 

We need your help!  Please contact your congressional representatives and
U.S senators. Political action is key, as members of Congress and the Senate
have not only the authority, but also the responsibility to make sure that
Amtrak operates in the public interest. Please call or write to your elected
officials. Ask them to reach out to their counterparts, especially those who
represent voters who live in rural America, where daily train service is
vital. 

 

Here are some additional points that can be used to convey your concerns
regarding Amtrak's long-distance train service:

1.            As the pandemic eases, cutting service is absolutely the wrong
message to send to bring customers back to Amtrak.

2.            Amtrak has gotten a lot of federal money, so where is it going
if service is getting cut nationwide?

3.            All trains should be DAILY! A customer should not have to
consult a calendar to see if their train is running on any given day!

4.            States have contributed a lot of money to have their trains
run between important centers of commerce and education. If service cuts are
allowed to occur, will States be getting refunds?

5.            Trains are one of the chief links between large cities and
small towns all across the US.  By cutting long-distance trains back to
tri-weekly, isn't that a not-so-subliminal message that residents and
visitors to small towns don't really matter?

6.            Rural areas served by Amtrak have little bus or air service.

7.            Dispersed populations (small towns) are a way to minimize the
impact of the coronavirus on the population, but to encourage such
lifestyles, transportation choices are needed.

8.            Our main economic competitor, which is rapidly overtaking the
USA, China, is building thousands of miles of intercity passenger railroads
and launching hundreds of passenger trains every year. 

9.            Daily long-distance passenger rail service is an alternative
which provides a safe, smooth all- weather ride; is popular with all ages,
classes and colors of people, and serves a as a brake on climate change.

Please let us know when you have contacted your elected officials, either
through a phone call or email to their staff member(s) who deals with
transportation issues.  

 

This is a RUN call-to-action and gives us the opportunity to express our
vision and show our strength. 

 

Thank you very much.  Be well and stay safe. 

 

Richard Rudolph, Ph.D.

Chairman, Rail Users' Network

rrudolph1022 at gmail.com

 

June 21, 2020