Amtrak may reroute out of Kansas because the state refuses to fix the tracks. Thanks Brownback!

[proud2BlibKansan]

TOPEKA -- Kansas may lose a significant stretch of Amtrak’s Southwest Chief passenger train service because of deteriorating train tracks and the state’s refusal to spend millions to fix it up.

Amtrak officials told the state that the Southwest Chief — which runs daily from Chicago to Los Angeles with stops in Newton and elsewhere in Kansas — will likely be rerouted south after its stop in Newton if the state doesn’t pitch in millions of dollars, according to emails and other documents.

The new route probably would add a stop in Wichita, but the Chief would no longer stop in Hutchinson, Dodge City and Garden City, according to a July 20 letter to Amtrak signed by transportation secretaries in Kansas, Colorado and New Mexico.

“Because BNSF has shifted its freight operations from the current Southwest Chief route, the railroad no longer has a business reason for maintaining the line to a condition suitable for passenger rail operations,” the secretaries wrote.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/08/30/3788933/amtrak-might-reroute-in-kansas.html#storylink=cpy

[dkf]

1. Is it normal for states to be responsible for this?

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. Knowing Brownback, there was probably federal money available

but he refused to accept it.

[TreasonousBastard]

7. Sometimes the state takes over a rail line no longer...

commercially viable. The Long Island Rail Road was originally a commercial freight line until the rail freight business dried up and it became a gummint owned commuter line.

It looks like the BNSF line owns, or owned, the tracks and right of way but no longer uses it, so someone else has to pick up the maintenance costs. That someone would be AMTRAK or the state, and AMTRAK has no money for such things any more unless there's some sort of special appropriation.

[Selatius]

2. This is idiotic. For a fraction of the defense budget, we could have bullet train routes nationwide.

Nope, we're a country of penny pinchers instead. Pennywise, pound foolish. Leave it to the United States to be drowned by its own miserly politicians who only know how to spend on their paymasters in the business world.

[Swede Atlanta]

4. I would assume that in the context of this story.....

Kansas has retained some rights and responsibilities with respect to some of the rail infrastructure that passes through the state. I also find it odd this would be a state responsibility but without knowledge of the specifics of the situation it is hard to say.

[xchrom]

5. Why wouldn't you want to fix the tracks? How stupid. Nt

[hatrack]

6. It might eat into the Bold Tax Cut Plan That Will Restore Prosperity Forever

. . . or whatever they're calling it these days. Infrastructure? That's for Socialists!

[longship]

8. I have taken this train several times

Once I went coast to coast with a sleeper. Very nice! Great food. A peaceful and comfortable trip.

This route follows the old Route 66 through New Mexico, Arizona, and California.

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. Took it nearly 50 years ago.

Went to California on the train. One of my fondest childhood memories.

[Edweird]

10. So, Amtrak is demanding Kansas pay for Amtrak's maintenance work on Amtrak's tracks.

This doesn't exactly put me on Amtrak's side....

[marmar]

12. They're not Amtrak's tracks.

nt

[Edweird]

13. Who owns them?

[marmar]

14. Not sure here....The only tracks Amtrak owns are in the Northeast Corridor and...

...... tracks between Kalamazoo, Michigan and Northern Indiana. On the rest of the network, they pay CSX or Canadian National or whomever owns the tracks.

[A HERETIC I AM]

15. The article linked in the op mentions BNSF

The right of way belongs to Burlington Northern Sante Fe. They have rerouted their heavy freight traffic and are no longer willing to spend the money to maintain that corridor

[Dkc05]

11. Kansas is going back to the stage coach with Lynn Jenkins as the town Whore when it stops in Lawrenc

She is there sucking the kock Bros for money.