Hotline #967 - January 31, 1997

The confirmation hearing for Transportation Secretary-designate Rodney Slater was January 29 before the Senate Commerce Committee. Slater, the current Federal Highway Administrator, did not mention Amtrak in his opening statement. Three Senators did bring it up, and he answered them in an up-beat -- though non-committal -- way.

Kay Bailey Hutchison (R.-Tex.) and Olympia Snowe (R.-Me.) pressed Slater on the need for a dedicated funding source for Amtrak. John Kerry (D.-Mass.) delivered an eloquent statement about U.S. neglect of passenger rail. He called it a "pipe dream" to think Amtrak would reach self-sufficiency at present investment levels. Calling rail a stepchild, Kerry said that neither Congress nor the Administration has really changed how they think about transportation -- notwithstanding the grand policy declarations in ISTEA. Kerry again drove the point home by holding up and reading from NARP's country-by-country comparison of per-capita government spending on rail. In response, Slater agreed that "rail is critical" to our future. Finally, Ron Wyden (D.-Ore.) said that Tom Downs soon would go to that state to help "reinvent" passenger train service in Eastern Oregon.

An advisory hearing involving Rodney Slater was held this morning by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which has jurisdiction over highways. Again, Slater did not mention Amtrak in his opening statement. He did, however, mention high-speed rail -- and even maglev. In response to a question from Chairman John Chafee (R.-R.I.), Slater said that a nationwide passenger rail system is essential to meeting the transportation demands of the 21st century, and that Amtrak must be made self-sustaining. Tim Hutchinson (R.-Ark.) pointed out that his state is about to lose its only train, and asked Slater what could be done -- but Slater responded vaguely about federal partnerships with states and localities and -- again --- that goal to make Amtrak self-sufficient.

On a very negative note, John Warner (R.-Va.), chairman of the Transportation Subcommittee, talked at great length about the "need" to preserve the "purity" of the Highway Trust Fund. To his credit, Slater pointed out that transit has had access to the Highway Trust Fund for a long time, and that many motorists might also be Amtrak passengers. Warner called that answer "diplomatic," but was visibly displeased.

The Administration is expected to unveil its 1998 budget on February 6. So far, there are no signs the Administration supports the badly needed Amtrak half cent. Responding to Hutchison on that topic on January 29, Slater said "hopefully" the Administration will propose one. If the budget confirms that it does not, NARP members must protest that an administration that always talks about making Amtrak "self-sufficient" does not provide Amtrak the tools to allow that to happen. President Clinton in a January 15 letter to NARP said he shares our "commitment to providing the American people with high-quality, reliable rail service," and that he remains "committed to Amtrak and to improving intercity rail service, especially in congested corridors."

Amtrak's formal budget request is due February 15. It is expected to ask for $750 million in capital -- roughly what the half cent would provide -- $245 million for operations and $142 million for mandatory payments.

Some trains in the Northwest are still disrupted by weather-related factors. The Empire Builder is replaced by a bus between Seattle and Everett, Wash., while the Mount Baker International is replaced by a bus for its whole route from Seattle to Vancouver, B.C. All that may last another week.

Conrail, Norfolk Southern, and CSX are all meeting today to try to negotiate terms under which a Conrail takeover by CSX would be acceptable to Norfolk Southern.

We regret to report the death yesterday of Byron Nordberg, a longtime passenger rail advocate from southern California.