Amtrak Joe can restore daily train service on his first day in office – using precedent Trump set

 

Amtrak's California Zephyr, pictured near Dixon, Ca. in August, is one of 14 national-network rail lines with less-than-daily service as of October 2020. (Photo by me) 

Amtrak is cutting service on almost all its long-distance train lines from daily to just three days per week starting this month, as a result of COVID-19 budget impacts. Given that the trains are keeping hundreds of communities connected during the pandemic, losing such vital access constitutes a national emergency.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden understands the importance of the Amtrak system, having logged more than two million miles of train travel that has enabled him to care for his family while serving the country.  Should he win the election, he can – upon being sworn into office – restore the system’s service and stability using national-emergency powers Donald Trump has drawn upon to fund billions of dollars of U.S.-Mexico border fencing. In contrast to the current president’s divisive border agenda, a Biden emergency intercity rail restoration would:

• Protect people and the economy
• Help rebuild the country, with tangible benefits nationwide
• Lay groundwork for broader leadership, including transportation policy reform

How a train-saving national emergency declaration would work

Amtrak's Coast Starlight prepares to depart Oakland, Ca. following its then-daily stop in May 2020. Service on the line will be cut to three days per week on October 12. (Photo by me)

Slashing national train service will save Amtrak no more than $213 million for fiscal year 2021, according to a model developed by the University of Southern Mississippi and the Rail Passengers Association. Though these forgone expenses are a drop in the bucket relative to the more than $250 billion of unmitigated annual driving costs U.S. society bears, according to IMF researchers, to date Congress and the president have chosen to sacrifice national access instead of paying up.

The results of thrice-weekly train service – people trying to get where they need to go stranded, billions of dollars of economic productivity lost, and a gift for special interests long opposed to our rail service – are analogous to closing the entire Interstate system for four days every week.

The drastic service cuts come at a time when the national train system is more important than ever to intercity connectivity. Though evidence shows that local public transit, with its relatively short trips and large-scale mask-wearing, presents minimal risk of COVID exposure and spread, longer-distance transportation can lead to problems if not managed carefully:

• Models have shown car travel spreading the virus along major highways, along which it is difficult to ensure roadside gathering places like rest stops, restaurants, and motels are taking adequate protective measures. More holistically, people in cars are ten times more likely per mile of travel to die in a crash than public transit riders are, and driving in rural areas – where crash fatality rates are three times higher than in cities – is especially unsafe.  
• Researchers have identified likely cases of viral transmission on confined airplanes and intercity buses. Despite these findings, some U.S. airlines are selling all of their seats, preventing passengers from physically distancing onboard.
• Cruise ships were, of course, an early super-spreader of COVID-19.

In contrast, Amtrak’s sleeper passengers travel in their own rooms, with contactless meal services offered, while people opting for more-affordable coach seats are guaranteed their own row. The capacity limitations needed to keep this access safe make it all the more vital to provide as much train service – and onboard space – as possible, especially given that:

• Amtrak was already the primary way in and out of many rural U.S. communities before COVID
• The long-distance national network has retained more ridership during the pandemic than any other component of Amtrak’s train system, demonstrating sustained demand for safe intercity mobility.
• Airlines are cutting service to 31 Amtrak-served cities, making access provided by the national train system even more essential.

By acknowledging the emergency need to maintain full national train service, Biden could redirect funds already apportioned – such as federal dollars for highway expansion or border barrier construction – to support this urgently-required access. To date, court rulings have permitted Trump’s administration to redirect funding originally intended for our country’s defense almost at will to build his wall, so the next president can use these same powers to enact policy that protects our mobility and infrastructure.

[UPDATE (10/12/2020): An October 9 ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals blocks $3.6 billion of Trump's border wall financing for the time being, upholding a previously-stayed district court judgment from December 2019. The Supreme Court, however, has sided with the White House – and against the 9th Circuit – on other litigation involving wall funding.]

If Biden announces his intention to declare a national rail access emergency now, with an election win in November he would give Amtrak time and certainty to deploy its equipment and rebuild its workforce before he takes office in January. This would ensure that – starting on inauguration day – people in communities throughout the country can board trains that would not otherwise operate, making it clear that their votes yield results.        

Why should the national rail network be a priority?

The Capitol Limited is the only train to serve Rockville, Md. on weekends. Due to Amtrak's October 2020 cuts, the community no longer sees any intercity rail service on Saturdays. (Photo by me)

COVID-19 has caused countless consequences for our health, economy, and quality of life that constitute national crises. In terms of transportation, the impact to local transit systems – a $32 billion budget shortfall that will, if left unaddressed, take frequent transit access away from three million people and 1.4 million jobs – is particularly devastating. That said, here’s why saving the national rail system would be an optimal use of presidential emergency powers:

• Simple logistics: Since Amtrak would be the sole manager of an emergency service restoration, meaningful action can happen quickly and efficiently. Given everything the train system has done for Biden over the years, up to and including his whistle-stop tour through battleground states last week, a move to preserve service would demonstrate loyalty to riders and employees.
• Responsible governance: Preserving daily national service would cost just over $200 million, as described earlier, and even Amtrak’s full requested federal FY 2021 appropriation – covering all regular capital and operating expenses, as well as extra costs incurred due to COVID – is $4.9 billion, significantly less than the $8 billion Trump redirected to his wall. While other, more expensive emergency relief programs should involve broader Congressional agreement, the next president can save Amtrak without undermining basic American checks and balances.
• Benefits that bring people together: Amtrak’s national network serves blue and red states alike, and Republican representatives regularly vote to protect their constituents’ train service. Accordingly, Biden can reach across the aisle by prioritizing this network, expressing his intent to lead the whole country and setting the stage for a more collaborative, less chaotic next four years. Among the major items for which a desirable outcome will require such collaboration: next year’s reauthorization of the federal transportation program.