“The government should just sell it [AMTRAK].”
“The government should just sell it.”
- Mon, Jun 30 2025 at 4:05 PM
The investments needed in passenger rail infrastructure have long been a political football in Washington, DC.
Photo Credit: Maxwell Middleton
Dear Mark,
Fresh off his stellar performance during the Senate hearing on Modernizing America’s Rail Network within the Committee of Commerce, Science and Technology on Wednesday, June 18th, Senator Bernie Moreno (R-OH) is doubling down on comments he made for the government to get out of the railroad passenger business.“The government should just sell it. We shouldn’t be in the railroad passenger business. It’s the only business line the government is involved in and it deals with consumers. The Government is just incapable of running a private business. Let’s just sell it. I’m not against rail service. I think we need to have great rail service. And the impediment to great rail service is America owning Amtrak.” Senator Bernie Moreno recently said during an interview with Fox 5 Cleveland.
The Rail Passengers Association has built a strong bi-partisan alliance who understand the importance of passenger rail to individuals and communities across the country. But, there are others, like Senator Moreno, who don’t quite appreciate that Congress is part of the problem. The investments needed in passenger rail infrastructure have long been a political football in Washington, DC.
Playing politics is the very reason our nation lags behind the rest of the developed world in building modern transportation. The type of “… great rail service.” Senator Moreno says he desires.
Amtrak only recently announced record levels of ridership and revenue, both nationally and on key State-supported corridors. The American public is best served by Amtrak adopting a strategy of improving its operating ratio by growing service, not by pretending to be a for-profit corporation delivering earnings-per-share at the expense of carrying out the mission Congress set for it more than half a century ago.
Rail Passengers has made it clear we oppose pennywise, pound-foolish decisions to chase “profitability”—a goal not required in any law passed by Congress, during a period of record taxpayer subsidies to the Federal interstate highway system.
“The government should just sell it.”
No, Senator Moreno, the Government should not. Congress should take better care of the taxpayer dollars that they have invested.
Recapitalization efforts in service of the 40+ million passenger rail passenger across our great country must continue. Rail Passengers works every day as your voice. Your generosity makes it possible for us to make sure “Let’s just sell it” doesn’t happen. Donate TODAY!
With Determination,
Jim Mathews
President & CEO
Comments
Post a Comment