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It's time for several US Senators, representing rural Western states, have taken pen in hand and writing a "Letter to Santa Claus", or otherwise Mr. Anderson, suggesting an expansion of the LD System. It's just the "same old litany", but here is a link to the letter in its entirety:
What I think is concerning about such letters promoting expansion of the LD system is that someone in Hays, KS will start saying "they got one up in Hastings, where's ours?" It could be a return to the later 70's and into the 80's when every legislator had to get "his train". Starting with the Carter Cuts, continuing with the Clinton, and then finally the Bush "prunings", things are now less than the RPSA70 "Basic System".
Imagine the effect upon railroad operations if there had to be a train running through Hays, Grand Island, and wherever else the advocacy community deems such "essential"? Is the disruption it would cause "worth it" running over lines that last saw a passenger train on A-Day and causing considerable interference with operations over the investor-owned Class I system?
yukon11 Member # 2997
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I think Sen. Moran is going to realize that Mr. Anderson is not Santa Claus nor the Easter Bunny.
Richard
George Harris Member # 2077
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It is the mind set that led to the "Essential" air services of a plane or two a day to many podunk places during the 1950's. In this part of the world, that meant Southern Airways had multiple Memphis - Jackson TN - Nashville - Knoxville - Bristol flights per day a couple of which landed at Crossville TN, being one example. (There were some people with huge political clout in Crossville at that time, so it got a good runway and the flights despite having only about 5000 people.) There were also several Huntsville AL to Atlanta flights per day, and on and on.
Vincent206 Member # 15447
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The letter does state that "Continuing and expanding the entire national system of long-distance and state-supported routes is both good for Amtrak’s business, and our national economy." But overall, I don't read the letter as a plea for a dramatic expansion of the LD system. There is a request for more information about what corridors Amtrak is looking at for new state supported services and a question about which LD routes may be candidates for truncation or alteration. But I agree, any expansion of the LD system would take more money than Congress, Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny or even the Tooth Fairy would be willing to bankroll.
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