Why Amtrak Matters

"The federal government spends billions of dollars every year on airports, canals, harbors and interstate highways. Yet when it comes to Amtrak passenger rail service, there is an annual struggle over how much taxpayers should have to spend to keep the trains running....The perennial debate over subsidies for Amtrak is not likely to go away. Advocates of improved passenger rail service note that rising oil prices, political uncertainty in major oil-producing nations, and ongoing financial trouble in the airline industry mean that trains will be more important in the future. They also note that Amtrak became a transportation lifeline in the busy Northeast Corridor when the airlines were grounded in the 2001 attacks.'This is the best imaginable time to be asking, 'How do we want to move our transportation system forward?"' Bernstein said. "It's a really good time to be taking a look at what we are financing and how we're financing it.'"

Thanks to Kara Heffernan