Amtrak Bean Counters Axe National Train Day.
For a number of years—since 2008, in fact—Amtrak has sponsored National Train Day with the help and support and participation, I am proud to say, of the National Association of Railroad Passengers. It has occurred on whatever Saturday has fallen closest to the 10th of May, which was the date in 1869 when the completion of the transcontinental railroad was celebrated by hammering a golden spike into a special wooden tie at Promontory, Utah.
Well, if you’ll forgive me, there’s not a goddam thing to celebrate today, because Amtrak has just announced that National Train Day has been cancelled—just one more sacrifice on the altar of Cost-Cutting along with the dining car on the Silver Star, the station agent in Rugby, North Dakota, and the olives for my Bloody Mary in the Pacific Parlour Car.
The thing is, National Train Day was from all appearances a real success. Events were held at railroad stations around the country—the photo was taken at Union Station in Portland, Oregon—with Amtrak equipment, vintage rail cars and steam locomotives open to the public, displays of various kinds sponsored by NARP and other advocacy organizations, all providing information about train travel to the general public. What’s not to like?
I have no idea how much National Train Day cost Amtrak, either in money or manpower. I suppose one of Amtrak’s number crunchers figured out how many people put in how many hours and multiplied that by their hourly rates and came up with a big scary number. Of course Amtrak will continue paying these people; they just won’t be working on National Train Day.
The less attention they draw to Amtrak and train travel in general, the more disorganized the events and scattered they become across the country, the more likely people are to forget about the option of traveling by train. There is method to their madness in canceling Train Day. Train travel deflects from burning up massive amounts of fossil fuel and all that warehoused corn waiting to be turned into ethanol, insurance coverage money, federally funded roadways, automobile sales and all the government jobs overseeing all these factions. Just because the numbers make sense decreasing stress, pollution, traffic, wear & tear on the roadways and monetarily for the consumers–NO ONE should hold their breaths waiting for BIG BUSINESS lobbyist to allow our bought and paid for GOVERNMENT to consider changing one thing or making one move towards preserving or improving long-distance rail travel, until it’s on the very verge of too late and there is something HUGE in it for them. I’d love to see local communities continue to uphold the same day as Train Day across the Nation and show the Feds WHAT FOR!
Thanks for this! I hope you’re a NARP member … we need you!
Wasn’t national train day *effectively* canceled last year, with the move the national train month? NTD was not a very flexible event – there are a lot of train stations – and only so much equipment, etc… This may actually be a positive move. Now communities can choose whatever day they want, and work with local and regional organizations, to create events promoting stations, trains, and transit.
Hope springs eternal, I guess.