In a way it was a peculiar letter. The subject line read "Amtrack" and it lacked the personal touch (like a salutation) which makes me think it may have been composed by a staff person.

What is noteworthy is that this letter was written by a Republican and it does show that someone at her office is reading the endless stream of words I send their way. The response also shows that she appears to be considering both sides of the issue.

Anyway, here's the letter:

Thank you for contacting me to share your concerns about the funding and
future of Amtrak. I appreciate hearing from you.

Amtrak is an essential component of our national inter-modal passenger
transportation system and there are some clear advantages of traveling on
Amtrak. Trains can run when weather causes delays for air and road travel,
serve people who don't have access to cars or can't drive, and people who
are afraid to fly or don't live near airports. Trains are also
energy-efficient and train stations can be catalysts for economic
development. Furthermore, a 1997 poll found that 69% of Americans favored
having Amtrak supported by the federal government.

However, the focus of criticism of Amtrak is its continuing financial losses
and the subsidy it requires from the federal government. Amtrak was created
in 1970, and began operation in 1971, to relieve railroad companies of their
money-losing passenger operations, while maintaining passenger rail service
in the United States. Prior to Amtrak's creation, the private sector rail
companies were losing billions of dollars a year operating a national
inter-city passenger rail system. Under Amtrak, passenger rail service has
continued its money-losing record that began in the 1930s.

There is a widespread belief that inter-city passenger rail service is
thriving in other countries, which leads to the assumption that there is
something fundamentally wrong with Amtrak that keeps it from being equally
successful. Passenger rail ridership has declined in every industrialized
country during this century. Passenger service is widely available in
European countries and Japan because the governments in those countries have
supported passenger rail service at a level far beyond that provided here in
the United States. Moreover, conditions in those countries are, in many
ways, more favorable to passenger rail transportation than in the United
States. Their population densities, fuel prices, and taxes are much higher
then ours, making driving more expensive relative to other travel options.

Currently, there are numerous proposals for how Congress should deal with
Amtrak. These include liquidating Amtrak, privatizing passenger rail
service, introducing competition, having Amtrak eliminate money-losing
routes, providing only capital support to Amtrak, substantially increasing
Amtrak's funding, and continuing with the status quo. None of this is going
to be easy. Please be assured that I will keep your thoughts in mind as
Congress considers this issue.

Again, thank you for contacting me. Please do not hesitate to contact me
again on issues that are important to you. While I commute from my home in
Albuquerque to Washington, D.C. for voting and committee hearings, you can
always check my web site for upcoming community events to find out where you
can catch me around town.

Sincerely,

Heather Wilson