Durbin takes Union Pacific to task on Amtrak route slowdowns

February 12th, 2008 at 03:42pm Chuck Sweeny

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin has sent a stern letter to the Union Pacific demanding that the railroad fix its deteriorating tracks and signals on the Chicago to St. Louis corridor. Amtrak trains frequently have to slow down because of problems that aren’t its fault. Riders, of course, blame Amtrak, not the UP.

Ridership  is increasing dramatically on the route, and trains have been added by the state, but the service will only remain viable if the tracks and signals are in good working order.

The letter is a good thing, but what’s really needed is legislation to remind the privately owned, deregulated railroads that they still are common carriers and have a responsibility to the public. They are being paid to handle Amtrak trains, and those trains are supposed to operate on a fast schedule — not according to the whims of the freight-oriented UP maintenance department.

I’d like to see Durbin, a strong supporter of rail as an integral part of our transportation mix, take the lead on a comprehensive reappraisal of ground transportation in the United States and develop 5 and 10 year plans, and procede to fund the work.

How to fund it? Well, maybe if we weren’t spending trillions on Iraq, we’d have money to fix our own country.

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