Bill with more money for Amtrak may spell the end of more money-losing rural routes

New money for Amtrak will breathe new life into the Chicago-to-Washington passenger train that runs through rural southern Ohio, northeast Kentucky and West Virginia, but the bill may lead to the end of The Cardinal and other rural routes that will never make money. "The Cardinal has operated with stunning inefficiency and waning demand from West Virginians," reports Joe Morris of The Charleston Gazette.

"It arrived on time just 22 percent of the time in August, the most recent month for which data are available. Each trip on the Cardinal (in Gazette photo) was more than four hours late, on average. Even when the Cardinal is on time, it takes far longer than driving. Traveling by rail from Charleston to Washington takes nine hours and 40 minutes when there are no delays; driving tends to be about three hours shorter."

The news peg for Morris's story was Senate passage of $11.4 billion in new money for Amtrak over the next six years, which West Virginia Sen. Robert Byrd, The Cardinal's chief patron, called "a great day for rail passengers in West Virginia." Morris notes, however, that "Much of the new proposed funding would come only after states start spending on Amtrak improvements," and ridership is "down significantly in West Virginia — and the new legislation hints that sparsely traveled, money-losing routes will be held to account before long." The House is expected to act on the legislation next year. (Read more)