Amtrak planning to bail?

[buzz456]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/04 ... nt-pay-up/

[philmoberg]

This "feud" has beein going on for a very long time. I remember talk of this in the late-90s. Eventually, all the visible posturing results in a lot of back-and-forth that is less visible (unless you're following it closely), which ultimately results in a solution of some sort, at least in most cases.

[ErikGorbiHamilton]

The reason why some of the 45 million was spent on the west coast was to see if they could run Amtrak between Nisqually WA and Tacoma WA using the old NP up the hill and into Lakewood. This in turn would bypass the coast route they take now. Pretty Sad to see states pay up or lose service.

[Chacal]

It must be true: it comes from the politics section of fox news.

[GSkid]

It must be true: it comes from the politics section of fox news.

Well it's in the right section. Democrats love subsidies, republicans don't. Plenty of politics involved in this.

I say scrap the route unless the cost/benefit analysis says it's needed....not simply wanted. And I mean "TRULY" needed. Not an emotional decision based on the testimony of some old lady in the middle of nowhere giving us a tear-jerker story of how she will be deprived of visiting her grandchildren.

Part of this route is on the BNSF Raton subdivision in New Mexico. They barely use it anymore and are pretty much done with it. I had heard of something about BNSF selling the line to the state, but I'm not sure where they are in the process. Needless to say that BNSF has no reason to upgrade this part of the line, let alone for passenger train speeds.