Cash poor Amtrak may soon privatize

Amtrak, with its enormous financial difficulties, may soon move from being a federally funded organization to a privatized one in order to keep it afloat, according to officials from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The Passenger Rail Investment Reform Act, proposed by the Bush administration on April 13, would privatize Amtrak, which the DOT said would allow the company to focus on running trains safely and on time, without the distraction of track and station maintenance concerns, according to a statement.

In addition, if the proposed act passes, train fares are expected to decrease because of an increase in Amtrak's competitiveness.

Despite the assertions in the Passenger Rail Investment Reform Act, which says Amtrak "cannot survive as a viable mode of transportation without structural reform," Amtrak spokeswoman Marcie Golgoski said ridership numbers have peaked in the past three years. Golgoski declined to comment further, however, on the proposed reforms.

At an intercity passenger rail news conference in California on March 31, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta discussed the changes that would result if Amtrak were privatized.

According to a written copy of his speech, Mineta said, "Amtrak will compete with private companies and public operators to run routes ... and this healthy competition will give Amtrak incentives to run the trains on time, to keep them clean and to provide better service."

If Amtrak is privatized, the DOT statement read, states would be able to select the train service of their choice and would no longer be obligated to use Amtrak for all intercity transit.

"Right now, if California wants service options to operate the Capitol's train from Oakland to Sacramento, it can choose Amtrak or Amtrak," Mineta said at the news conference.

The Passenger Rail Investment Reform Act outlines plans to improve intercity passenger rails by focusing on three major aspects of reform.

Proponents of the act seek to give the public more input in Amtrak affairs. In addition, the act would establish a federal-state partnership to finance the improvements.

The federal government will offer 50-50 matching grants to states that improve passenger rail service through various projects if the act is passed, according to the DOT statement.

Many students rely on Amtrak to travel to and from college. However, increasing ticket prices have caused some to find other modes of transportation, several Boston University students said. However, Golgoski said Amtrak does not know what percentage of its riders are students.

Several BU students agreed that Amtrak is a convenient and comfortable way to travel because the train routes eliminate traffic and passengers avoid the high security of airports.

"I use Amtrak twice a semester because it's easier then a bus," said College of Communication junior Erica Kramer. "The Acela Express train is nice because it only takes three hours to get to New York, but I would still choose to fly if I could."

College of Arts and Sciences sophomore Brian Higgins said although he has used Amtrak once or twice, the high prices prompt him to find others ways home.

"Usually I go home in a car, but I would use Amtrak more if it was cheaper," he said.