Durbin, B-N officials: Amtrak cuts a bad idea
NORMAL -- A U.S. House proposal to cut Amtrak funding by 60 percent would eliminate eight of the 10 daily trains to the Twin Cities, according to U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill.
"This would be an end to Amtrak as we know it," Durbin said during a press conference in Normal Tuesday. "This is a step in the wrong direction."
Durbin, the No. 2 member of the Senate, noted the work on Uptown Station -- backdrop for his speech -- was an investment made by Washington that is "putting people to work every single day."
The station, which will serve passengers of Amtrak, Bloomington-Normal Public Transit and intrastate buses, and taxis, is being funded in part with $22 million from the federal stimulus package.
As the second busiest train station in Illinois and the fifth in the nation, Durbin said the Normal station is "an integral part of the economy" for Bloomington-Normal, Illinois State University, Illinois Wesleyan University and the nation.
Normal Mayor Chris Koos agreed, saying a lot of the $220 million in planned private development was "based on the promise of an active Amtrak station."
"It would be irresponsible of the House to think about abandoning Amtrak," Koos said, adding every mode of transportation from sidewalks to roads is subsidized.
Bloomington Mayor Steve Stockton echoed the sentiment, saying communities that were bypassed by the railroad years ago have died.
"We know the economic viability of Bloomington-Normal in a large part depends on the quality of transportation," Stockton said. "Government has made a huge investment; ridership has increased. Now is not the time to yank it out of our community."
ISU President Al Bowman said a quarter of Amtrak riders arriving and departing from the Twin Cities station are ISU students.
"The rail link between Chicago and Normal is extremely important," Bowman said. "Half of our students are from Chicago."
The high-speed rail line also will play an important role when the university starts its master of business administration program in Chicago next fall, Bowman said.
Durbin, who is touring the state in an attempt to rally support against the House proposal, said the Senate transportation bill would keep Amtrak funding flat next year. Durbin also proposed an amendment restoring $100 million for high-speed and intercity passenger rail.
All of that is eliminated the House version of the bill, he said.
Derrick James, director of the government affairs for Amtrak's Midwest territory, said Amtrak's success in providing the nation's network is in part because of Durbin.
James said Amtrak reached a milestone of serving more than 30 million passengers last year.
"Obviously, Americans want railroads," he said.