Don’t kill Amtrak in Florida

The governor has said nothing about the potential loss of Amtrak, a loss that not only would hurt communities, but kill jobs.

If you’re one of the million Amtrak Florida riders who travel north or south on the service, start thinking of a new way home.

That’s because all long-distance Amtrak routes would be axed in President Trump’s proposed budget. The Department of Transportation’s overall budget would be cut 13 percent, with Amtrak getting slashed 45 percent — from $1.4 billion to $774 million.

Nationwide, of the 45 states served by Amtrak, 23 would lose all service.

So say goodbye to the three routes that serve Florida — two New York to Miami trains, and the popular auto train that runs from Orlando to Washington, D.C.

Instead, President Trump wants to focus on state-supported systems and the Northeast Corridor between Washington, D.C. and Boston, which is Amtrak’s only profitable route.

You would think Gov. Rick Scott and Florida’s congressional delegation would be howling at the thought of such draconian cuts. Scott had his chance at a White House meeting on infrastructure Thursday, where the president said public works projects are “going to take off like a rocket ship.”

But the governor has said nothing about the potential loss of Amtrak, a loss that not only would hurt communities, but kill jobs.

So far, only Sen. Bill Nelson has spoken up for our state.

“This just doesn’t make sense,” Nelson said when the budget was released. “Eliminating Amtrak service in Florida not only affects the nearly one million Floridians who ride the train each year, it would have a real impact on our tourismdriven economy.”

Critics complain that Amtrak’s long-distance routes lose money, don’t run on time and suffer frequent breakdowns. True, bad service results in low ridership. Better service — in other words, a bigger investment — would pay dividends in higher ridership.

But Amtrak has long suffered from willful neglect. The Northeast Corridor alone faces a $28 billion backlog of needed improvements, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers.

And though Trump campaigned on improving infrastructure, his budget would compound the neglect.

Why should we accept that a 26 percent reduction in Amtrak is appropriate?

Why can’t the United States, like its industrialized peers, support a robust, modern and efficient rail system?

Florida leaders know rail is essential to moving goods and people. It’s why we’re excited about the privately owned All Aboard Florida, which will soon be whisking travelers from Miami to Fort Lauderdale to West Palm Beach, and ultimately to Orlando.

The Trump budget sees merit in privatizing services traditionally the purview of government. Handled properly, it’s not a bad idea. Train service could be one of those public-private partnerships worth exploring if it would improve and expand the system.

What’s not a good idea is Trump’s plan to privatize air traffic control, another controversial element in his DOT budget. Putting public safety in the hands of a forprofit company is rolling the dice with life.

Sen. Nelson’s observation is on target. The budget proposal makes no sense.

What does make sense is a forwardthinking discussion to improve and expand our rail system. It’s long overdue.

Cutting passenger rail service does nothing to make America great again. A better option would be to Make Amtrak Great Again.