Should The Senate Bail-Out Amtrak?

This editorial argues that Amtrak has long been a waste of taxpayer money, and will continue to be unless legislation allows its operation to be more like that of train systems in Europe and South America. A bill currently in the Senate proposes a substantial subsidy to the increasingly unsuccessful Amtrak, but does not consider eliminating the rail line's monopoly over passenger rail in the country.

"One problem is that the bill prohibits competition against Amtrak's monopoly by private contractors who have taken over and improved trains in Europe, Australia and South America and won contests against Amtrak to run commuter trains in Boston, Los Angeles and San Diego. The bill allows domestic freight railroads to bid on any one Amtrak route in 2008, but freight lines like Union Pacific and CSX have made it clear they have no interest in doing so."

"Today, 105 communities that used to have Amtrak trains are without them and taxpayers are better off for it. Many members of Congress haven't mustered the votes to preserve their hometown train, but not once in Amtrak's 35-year history has a community ousted one of them in the election cycle after the end of train service."

"In short, Amtrak is a ballot-box irrelevancy. Maybe upon recognizing that fact, senators will drop their push to increase Amtrak funding by an outrageous $11.4 billion over the next six years."