The gutting of Amtrak may seem like small potatoes compared to TrumpCare, Climate Change Denial, voting suppression, compromised elections, Russian meddling, and all the other GOP crap coming out of Washington from the Trump regime, the GOP Congress, and the red states, but it’s all of a piece. The chaos is threatening to overwhelm everyone; there’s so much stuff going down, it’s hard to keep track of what doesn’t hit you personally. The video below connects some dots — please watch. It’s only 8 minutes, 20 seconds. Don’t skip the graphic at the end.
The Trump budget, such as it is, calls for the end of long distance Amtrak passenger trains. Large parts of the country will have no train service at all. The middle of America will literally become flyover country.
Even where train service remains, it will be diminished. It’s a great leap backwards at a time when America needs to rebuild itself for the 21st century. This isn’t just about travel options; this is about jobs, about public infrastructure, about energy, about labor, about the environment, and just what kind of country we will be living in. This hasn’t gotten a lot of attention yet, but it’s not too soon to let your Congressional representatives of whatever party know you are watching them on this.
Saving Amtrak may seem like a niche issue, but what I found at the Rensselaer, NY rally shows how it brings diverse groups together in the common interest. There were people who’d come thanks to NARP — but there were others as well: people from environmental groups, people from unions, retirees, young people, the disabled, Democratic Socialists, the Green Party…
So where the hell is the Democratic party on this?
This is about using government for the benefit of the people. This is about reinforcing the idea of the public good. This is about standing for something. When a white guy is quoting Malcolm X (at 5:18 into the video), that tells you how messed up things are. Watch the video, and see what conviction looks like. We need it if we’re going to turn things around!
Bonus: A Few More Items On This Topic...
Here’s some more information about the locomotive:
GENERAL: Amtrak owns 18 of these units numbered 700-717. They were built by GE Transportation Systems in Erie, PA with the first order (700-709) entering service in 1995 and the second order (710-717) in 1998. These units are designed to operate in 3rd Rail Electric Territory including the tunnels in and out of NY Penn Station, as well as operating on regular diesel power, thus the "DM" or "Dual-Mode" Designation. They were designed to replace aging EMD FL-9's that operated out of NY Penn Station.
SPECS: The P32's are equipped with a 12 Cylinder, 3200 Horsepower engine and AC Traction Motors. This is a smaller engine than the 16 Cylinder 4000 HP engine included in the 800 Series Genesis Units (The AMD-103's or "P40's") though this unit's top speed is higher (110mph as opposed to 103 on the P40's) because of the use of AC Traction Motor Technology. The smaller engine is also necessary so as to fit the 3rd Rail Electric Equipment into the locomotive.
TERRITORY: These units are based in Albany, NY and operate primarily between Albany and New York as well as throughout Upstate New York.
TRAINS: Most Empire Service Trains, also the Lake Shore Limited (NY to Albany), Maple Leaf, Ethan Allen Express & Adirondack.
These units are nearing the end of their service life; they either need to be replaced or rebuilt. They’re becoming increasingly unreliable. Amtrak has been adding new equipment and needs more — cutting Amtrak service will not only end rail service, it will cut good paying jobs in manufacturing.
What you see below here is the result of recent work done on the Rensselaer, NY Amtrak station. Federal money was used to add a 4th track at the station and extend the platforms. It’s among the top ten busiest stations Amtrak has. More federal money is being used to double-track the line between here and Schenectady, NY which will help eliminate delays. Schenectady is getting a new station as well. This isn’t just about more trains — this is about jobs and infrastructure. For decades in America, it’s been all about pulling up track; now railroads are finding they need that track back. A lot of stuff moves by rail. If we want to move people as well as freight, we need those lines restored and expanded.
This is the kind of thing that happens when government invests in America. It used to be no big deal, back in the days before conservatives had everyone obsessing over “the deficit” and the never ending need for more tax cuts for the rich. (As Charles P. Pierce notes, “try to keep in mind the Blog's First Law of Economics: Fck the deficit. People got no jobs, people got no money.”)
Here’s what you’ll find if you keep going up those platforms above and continue on under the bridge in the distance — the Rensselaer Amtrak shops. When those trains aren’t out on the rails, they need to be serviced, cleaned, repaired, and readied for their next run. That puts people to work at good-paying jobs. They support all the things passenger trains make possible — business travel, recreational travel and tourism, and just plain transportation. Plus, the money paid to the people who work here goes right back into the economy.
NARP has a set of reports on what Amtrak provides to the economies of the states it serves. Here’s just a few numbers for New York State:
New York FY16 at a Glance
Approximately 140 Amtrak trains a day
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Over 12 million riders at New York stations
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Over $216 million in Amtrak procurement
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1,712 residents employed by Amtrak
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Total resident employee wages, nearly $132 million
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Over 721,000 New York residents are members of the Amtrak Guest Rewards
frequent user program
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Amtrak-State partnerships on three routes
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Doesn’t America deserve a decent rail system? Here’s what the inside of the Albany-Rensselaer Station looks like:
There are things that can be done and are being done to improve Amtrak service. Here’s a man taking advantage of a new option on some trains — bring your bike on board.
Of course, there’s also reason to keep old stations and update them — even go multi-modal. It can be spectacular. Here’s what Utica, NY saved. Amtrak serves there, as does the Adirondack Scenic Railroad.
If we want an America that works, one that chooses jobs instead of tax cuts for the rich, one that builds up instead of tearing down, we need to stand together. Amtrak is one of the places where we can do that.
If you want to keep up with what’s happening to Amtrak and rail issues in general, you can join NARP and follow them on Facebook.