220 Cities Losing All Passenger Train Service per Trump Elimination of all Federal Funding for Amtra

[HAB911]

The National Association of Rail Passengers denounced the budget outline released by the Trump Administration, which slashes investment in transportation infrastructure. These cuts to Amtrak, transit, and commuter rail programs, and even air service to rural towns, would not only cost construction and manufacturing jobs, but place a disproportionate amount of pain on rural and working class communities.

“It’s ironic that President Trump’s first budget proposal undermines the very communities whose economic hardship and sense of isolation from the rest of the country helped propel him into office,” said NARP President Jim Mathews. “These working class communities — many of them located in the Midwest and the South — were tired of being treated like ‘flyover country.’ But by proposing the elimination of Amtrak’s long distance trains, the Trump Administration does them one worse, cutting a vital service that connects these small town economies to the rest of the U.S. These hard working, small town Americans don’t have airports or Uber to turn to; they depend on these trains.”

"What’s more, these proposed cuts come as President Trump continues to promise that our tax dollars will be invested in rebuilding America's infrastructure,” continued Mathews. “Instead, we have seen an all-out assault on any project — public and private — that would advance passenger rail. These cuts and delays are costing the U.S. thousands of good-paying construction and manufacturing jobs in America's heartland at this very moment."

Mathews was referring to the decision by Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao to indefinitely suspend a grant that would allow California to proceed with a commuter rail electrification project. Caltrain, the agency overseeing the project, estimates the project would create 9,600 total direct and indirect jobs. The delay also threatens the construction of a new railcar assembly plant planned for Salt Lake City, which would generate sustainable, family-wage jobs for 550 employees.

http://www.masstransitmag.com/press_release/12322126/220-cities-losing-all-passenger-train-service-per-trump-elimination-of-all-federal-funding-for-amtraks-national-network-trains



Sticking it to his 'flyover' country buddies once again

[beachbum bob]

1. No surprise..

[vlyons]

2. Trump can propose whatever budget he likes.

But it's congress that will either come up with a budget, or kick the can down the road and extend the current budget for a few months more. I find it hard to believe that even Republicans will go along with all these Draconian budget cuts. There will certainly be some cuts, but not these extreme Trump cuts. Because afterall, Republicans want to get re-elected.

It never occurs to them to cut the Dept of Defense budget, because fighter jets are so sexy.

[Wellstone ruled]

3. Anschutz is loving this.

This sucker runs several Tourist Rail Roads and has the largest fleet of Rail Coaches out side of Amtrak. BTW,watch for Amtrak to be Privatized or sold off to Anschutz and other Wall Street Hedge Funds.

Many Railroad fans have been expecting this for years. Joe Biden has always been the glue that kept this from happening.

[HoneyBadger]

4. How sad

Time to take an Amtrak tour of America before the trains are gone.

[Freethinker65]

5. And his rural voters will cheer him on as their economy continues to decline

[Blue_true]

7. Yep, they are primarily gun toting, bible thumpers that are oblivious to a larger world. nt

[Blue_true]

6. Big cities have their own systems. It is easy to travel the highly populated coasts.

Not so easy in the interior away from big cities. Anyone that think big manufacturing plants will come to small rural towns and cities are beyond dumb - those businesses will go where skilled workers are. Anyone that thinks Wall Street private financiers will finance rail and highways for thinly populated rural areas are beyond delusional.