A US House appropriations sub-committee proposed drastic cuts to passenger rail and public transit, including 64% from Amtrak’s budget and 80% from general funds for passenger rail & transit. They would hurt existing service and planned expansions, cutting off Midwest cities and towns from rail access.

Congress needs to hear from you that trains matter to the Midwest.

The bipartisan infrastructure law was passed to rebuild and reconnect communities. Now is not the time to undercut those gains before they can even get going. Every $1 invested in passenger rail creates $4 in economic benefits for neighboring communities.

The proposed cuts include: 

• 68% cut from Amtrak National Trains, affecting over a dozen train routes that serve Midwestern cities & towns, including trains to Minneapolis, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Omaha, Detroit, Cleveland, etc.
• 90% cut from Fed-State Partnerships for Intercity Passenger Trains, which would hurt Amtrak expansions to the Quad Cities, Madison, Columbus, etc.
• 87% cut from Transit Capital Investment Grants & 100% cut from RAISE Grants, which are used for transit infrastructure maintenance, repair, & expansion.

We need trains more than ever, to improve mobility, grow the economy, and protect the environment.  Tell Congress that these cuts are NOT acceptable.

I appreciate your commitment to our environment.
 

Kevin Brubaker
Deputy Director
Environmental Law & Policy Center