Letter to U.S. Congressional Committee on Transportation

TO: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials; 

U.S. House of Representatives
2029 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

October 2, 2023.

We are writing to express our organization’s concerns regarding Amtrak’s recent announcement about the return of the Floridian.  The Rail Users’ Network represents riders of long-distance rail, commuter rail, and transit rail. While it may sound good that a long-absent train – Amtrak’s Floridian – is returning, there is much to consider about this “return.” Yes, this will give travelers from the midwest a direct, one-seat ride to the sunshine state. But, this route is hardly “the Floridian” that everyone remembers. This route replicates Amtrak’s Capitol Limited between Chicago and Washington, D.C., then utilizes the route of the Silver Star to make its way down the east coast to Florida. While doing so, it removes the traditional Silver Star from service north of Washington, D.C.. Riders from the northeast have traditionally had at least two direct trains to Florida – the Silver Star, and the Silver Meteor. These were scheduled at different times of the day to give more convenient schedules to riders who needed to get to Florida, Georgia, or the Carolinas. Amtrak’s new proposal will end the traditional Silver Star route, and riders from the northeast who wanted a morning departure to Florida will have to take a connection train from New York or points south to Washington, D.C.’s Union Station, where they will have to transfer themselves and their luggage to another train to get to Florida. If  for some reason the train from Chicago is delayed, they would have to hang around Union Station waiting for their train to Florida. Another ridiculous aspect of this new “Floridian”, would be that it bypasses large population centers in the south, making it far less useful than it could be. Cities such as Louisville, Nashville, & Atlanta – obvious places a Chicago to Florida train should serve – would not get the train service they have been waiting for for years. Ironically, the state of Georgia is very interested in their Savannah, Macon, Atlanta corridor, and having the Floridian serve that corridor on its way to  & from Florida would cement the need for that important corridor to get the additional service it needs and deserves. And having corridor trains frequently serving that corridor would bring additional ridership to the Floridian, boosting the corridor & long-distance trains, in an obvious and economically viable exchange that benefits not only Georgia, but surrounding states as well. 

The proposed Floridian takes Amtrak’s long-distance network from 15 trains down to 14 trains, with the loss of the NY-Florida Silver Star. This is due, in part, to the absence of viable long-distance Superliner coaches, which are sitting & rotting in the Beech Grove Yards, when they should have been refurbished and prepared for new long-distance service. What does this say about Amtrak’s supposed goal of expanding its long-distance network, and providing the US with the important and necessary rail network it needs and deserves? If Amtrak thinks its ok to shrink its long-distance network, which route would be the next to go? How will Amtrak justify its budget if they continue to cut service? How many important jobs will be lost in various states, if they’re no longer running trains and serving those states? In fact, how would they justify getting federal funds if services and routes keep getting cut? This is not a formula for success, and we would hope that our elected officials and those serving in the US Dept. of Transportation would see this for what it is – selling “new” connectivity, while demonstrably cutting off those who have relied on Amtrak service for many years. While we believe restoring through service from Chicago to Florida is a worthwhile goal, it should not come at the expense of taking away service from other states. The Rail Users’ Network calls on the Department of Transportation and our elected officials to “do the right thing” – by bringing back service from Chicago to Florida on a route that makes sense, while not harming any existing routes. Let’s give US rail passengers the service and the network they need, deserve, and are supporting with their tax dollars.

Sincerely,

Richard Rudolph, Ph.D., Chairman, Rail Users Network  

Andrew Albert, MTA Board Member, and Chair of the NYC Transit Riders Council.

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