The buzz started in St. Louis, when KMOX radio reported that a U.S. House Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee had all but eliminated the Amtrak subsidy in Missouri. That would include trains that run from St. Louis to Kansas City and three of the five trains between St. Louis and Chicago.
"This is obviously the first step in a long series of events that would be necessary to cut this funding,” MoDot Rail Administrator Eric Curtit said. “This is a subcommittee. Then it would have to go to committee. Then it would have to go the House, followed of course by the United States Senate."
The subcommittee vote could be political posturing. Amtrak ridership is up and Congress has been moving toward the development of high speed rail. And just last month, Missouri received more than 28 million stimulus dollars for a new rail bridge over the Osage River.
"Ya know, this kinda goes against the grain with what's been going on with our partners Amtrak, the railroad, and all the communities along the line."
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