Plan could return Amtrak to southern Idaho

POCATELLO, Idaho – U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo is considering adding himself as a co-sponsor to a bill that could return Amtrak passenger rail service to this eastern Idaho city and others.

“Amtrak has been an important part of Idaho, and I, like many others, was disappointed with the decisions several years ago that shut down passenger train service in our state,” Crapo, R-Idaho, told the Idaho State Journal.

“Senate Bill 294 is a comprehensive bill that takes a look at the nationwide passenger train option, and, as such, takes an important step forward by mandating a one-time evaluation of the Pioneer route and the level of passenger demand. I certainly support returning passenger rail service to our state.”

The bill would require Amtrak, the nation’s government-subsidized passenger rail service, to consider whether there would be enough passengers to make it feasible to reinstate the Pioneer train. The train was discontinued in 1997 due to a lack of riders that resulted in a loss of $20 million the previous year.

Besides Pocatello, the train also had stops in Boise, Tacoma, Portland, Salt Lake City and Denver.

“We’re looking at expansion,” said Amtrak spokeswoman Vernae Graham. “We’re looking at various parts of the country where it makes sense for us to expand. Where there’s a demand, we will (expand). But it has to be financially feasible and the ridership has to be there for us to move forward.”

Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., sponsored the bill. It was unanimously approved by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation earlier this year, and could go to a Senate vote before the end of this year. Lautenberg issued a statement Friday that said senators from states once served by the Pioneer train had asked him to include a provision directing Amtrak to re-evaluate the route.

He said support by Crapo and fellow Idaho Republican Sen. Larry Craig would be needed for the bill to succeed.

Craig’s spokesman, Dan Whiting, said Craig would back the re-evaluation of the route.

“(Sen. Craig) is supportive of passenger rail service, but he gets uncomfortable when it comes to subsidizing it,” Whiting said. “He would have to be convinced that it would be a good benefit to the taxpayers to bring (the Pioneer) back.”

Graham said Amtrak has asked the federal government for $1.7 billion for 2008 to make improvements to rail bridges in the northeastern U.S., with some of that money intended for security upgrades.

Amtrak’s ridership has been increasing in recent years, with a record 24.3 million passengers in 2006. Officials estimate ridership will top 25 million this year.

Graham said high gas prices could be behind the increase as some commuters in the highly traveled Northeast have switched from cars to trains, then found they preferred the train.

“Instead of sitting in traffic on the interstate and not being able to get to their destination on time, people took the train and arrived at work relaxed and on time,” she said. “We’ve found that once we get people on the train and provide them with a pleasant train experience, they’re hooked and that does it for them.”

But in rural Idaho, passengers can be scarce, a concern Crapo said should not automatically count the state out of passenger train service.

“We need to make sure that the feasibility of restoring the Pioneer route is a real option and not one that will be automatically rejected,” he said. “That might take more than a study. I will do all I can to ensure that the Amtrak reauthorization legislation recognizes that there is an important national interest in passenger rail service in and across rural states, not just in more heavily populated areas.”