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(rshsdepot) Anniston, AL



Photo link:
http://www.homestead.com/StagmiesALRailpics/files/AMTRAK814.jpg  (Amtrak
train in station)

Anniston council lobbies for train station in nation's capital.

By Nathan Solheim
Star Staff Writer

03-17-2002

Anniston City Council members went to Washington last weekend for the
National League of Municipalities meeting and spent part of their time
talking trains.
Several council members met with Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Mobile, and told him
of their plans to renovate Anniston's Fourth Street train station.
"(We) just encouraged his support of continued funding for Amtrak," said
Mayor Chip Howell. "We reminded him of the grants we've already received and
if he hears of any new grants, please keep us in mind."
While the Amtrak funding debate continues on Capitol Hill, Anniston is in
the early stages of renovating the Fourth Street train station. Council
members wanted to talk over their grant statuses and appropriations requests
with Alabama's congressional delegation in Washington.
The station, once completed, will be a multi-modal transportation center
with local bus service, Greyhound bus service, taxi service and Amtrak
service. Council members have more than $1 million in grants from various
sources to spend on the renovation.
Councilman John Norton missed the council's meeting with Sessions because he
had to catch the train back to Anniston. Norton instead is talking with
staffers from the office of Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Tuscaloosa.
Norton and the council are seeking a $540,000 grant from the Federal
Transportation Administration. But first, it must be appropriated in the
upcoming federal budget cycle.
"It did not get awarded this last cycle and the reason for that is this
process is more political than it is anything else," Norton said. "The
question is not the viability of the grant application, the question is
whether funding has been made available for the project. In other words, no
matter what the merits are, if there's no appropriation, it won't be
approved."
Shelby is the ranking member of the Senate Appropriations committee's
transportation subcommittee. His support is crucial to the city receiving an
appropriation.
But Shelby has long been hawkish on Amtrak. He stated last week that further
subsidies to Amtrak would be throwing good money after bad.
"The goal ought to be a national transportation system that includes
highways, airports and rail," Shelby said. "But the notion of a stand-alone
national passenger rail system for America is outdated and inefficient."
Shelby said rail only can work between two major metropolitan areas that are
not more than 300 miles apart, and incremental commuter rail operations such
as the rail service that extends outward from Chicago through its suburbs
and to Milwaukee.
Anniston could fit into both of Shelby's models, due to its location between
Birmingham and Atlanta, which is seen as a potential rapid rail corridor.
Howell said he will seek an audience with Shelby to explain Anniston's
needs.
"It is one mode of the multi-modal concept, and I believe the traveling
public is looking for alternatives since Sept. 11," Howell said. "Amtrak
traffic has increased. If we can market Amtrak in a better perspective and
give them a better facility, then we will all benefit from it."
City leaders hope the renovation will spearhead a revitalization of the Zion
Hill area, which could help the area keep its Amtrak service and justify
more grants in the future.
"From a policy point of view, the revitalization is critically important
because it will affect Amtrak," Norton said. "In the very short-term, we
will be competing to keep Amtrak as a viable program in the Southeast. And
that is going to be an uphill struggle."
Norton said of three Amtrak stations in Alabama, "we're the only city
undertaking a revitalization of the facilities." It's important to do that
for the future, he said.
"If we're going to go to high-speed rail, we need to be proactive, to be
sure it comes through Anniston."

About Nathan Solheim Minnesota native Nathan Solheim is a University of
Georgia graduate. He covers the city of Anniston for The Anniston Star.

Contact Nathan Solheim
nsolheim_@_annistonstar.com

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The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org

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End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #318
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=================================
The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org