Action Needed to Save West Virginia's Train Service

The House Transportation Committee has unveiled a plan to “privatize” Amtrak's northeast corridor. This is bad news for West Virginia because this corridor is the only one making a profit and is subsidizing less profitable routes like the ones here in West Virginia.  If this becomes law, kiss our Amtrak service goodbye!

Chairman Mica has crafted a plan similar to the selling off of the British Rail system that left their tax payers picking up billions in costs.

Calls are needed to Representatives Capito - (202) 225-2711 (Washington office) and (304) 925-5964 (Charleston office) and Rahall - (202) 225-3452 (Washington office), (304) 252-5000 (Beckley office) and (304) 522-6425 (Huntington office) (both on the House Transportation Committee) to help derail this proposal. Be sure to thank Representative Rahall for coming out against this sell-out of our national train system. See:

http://wvgazette.com/News/201106201397

Below are some talking points:

• We ask that you support real job creation by supporting the High Speed and Intercity Rail Program and Amtrak, and by saying no to a risky privatization scheme that will cost us more of our tax money, even as we lose our train service.

• Amtrak and the high-speed and intercity rail grant program could be well on their way to creating 120,000 new jobs this year if supported.

• However, the current House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Competition for Intercity Passenger Rail in America Act of 2011, is a risky and costly scheme that places those jobs at risk.

• As written, Wall Street investors will be able to cherry-pick the best lines, leaving most of the system in a weakened and vulnerable Amtrak. People in towns all over America are aware of what could happen. That’s why the Independent Record, a paper in rural Montana released a scathing editorial of the House plan.

• Instead of another gift to Wall Street investors, we would like to create jobs. We support Amtrak’s FY 2012 request of $2.2 billion as well as the high-speed and intercity rail program’s request for $2.5 billion. Funding these two programs at this level will create 120,000 new jobs.