WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration is soliciting applications for $24 million in grant funding to “initiate, restore, or enhance intercity passenger rail service.”
The funds are part of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation act, and can be applied to operating assistance including staffing, administrative costs, host-railroad access costs, station expenses, and lease payments on rolling stock, among other uses. Amtrak and other intercity passengers are eligible to apply, as are states, groups of states, cities, and other governmental agencies.
“We’re encouraging applicants to leverage federal Restoration and Enhancement grants to support large-scale, intercity passenger rail improvements,” FRA Administrator Ronald L. Batory said in a press release.
The official Notice of Funding Opportunity, with more details, is available here. Notably, the list of projects to receive funding priority in funding includes “applications that …restore service over routes formerly operated by Amtrak, including routes in the Gulf Coast region between New Orleans, Louisiana, and Orlando, Florida,” a description tailor-made for the ongoing efforts of the Southern Rail Commission to restore service on that route.
Restoration of service from NOLA to Orlando is very much needed. I would bet that Food service on that train is not even being considered bey Amtrak. I would also bet that Amtrak will doing everything possible to make sure the Southern Rail commission will be stymied at every possible point so as not to show up Amtrak. (case in point: The pacific Parlour cars could only be sold with the legal stipulation that they could not be used for their intended purpose, most especially in a revenue situation, which of course would make Amtrak look bad if outdone.).
Considering what it costs to operate passenger trains these days, is $24 million significant? How many owned or leased trains can be operated over leased trackage for that amount and for how many miles? Can the fare box pick up enough of the expenses to make that work? We spend tens of billions of dollars on highways (and that doesn’t include the actual cost of operating cars, trucks and buses), yet we expect to run one or more rail passenger services for $24 million? Somehow, I’m not seeing anything realistic here.
So, rather than provide funding to Amtrak, they are going “regional” funding?! I know, it’s not their responsibility to fund Amtrak, but what ‘ya gonna’ do when politicians and their constituents don’t want to spend money on passenger rail?