(rshsdepot) Raton, NM

[Bernie Wagenblast <brwagenblast_@_comcast.net>]

Photo links:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/nm/colfax/postcards/deprat.jpg  (1907
postcard)
http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/nm/colfax/postcards/deprat.jpg  (info &
contemporary photos)
http://www.edd.state.nm.us/FILM/PHOTOGALLERY/neraton04.htm  (contemporary
photo)

Study notes negative impacts if communities lose Amtrak

By Todd Wildermuth
Editor, The Raton Range

Amtrak stations are a vital part of "railroad towns" such as Raton - both
economically and in terms of community identity and image - and the loss of
the passenger train service could hamper "revitalization efforts" in many
places, according to a study officially released this week.

The results of the study were formally announced Monday in Albuquerque.
Raton City Manager Eric Honeyfield and City Commissioners Jesse Johnson and
Fred Sparks attended the event and shared Raton's concerns about the
potential stoppage of Amtrak service in Raton.

If the historic Raton railroad depot was restored and renovated as a modern
intermodal transportation center, it could generate an additional 50 local
jobs and would increase the value of the First Street depot property by $6
million, according to the study. But the study also says the loss of Amtrak
could put the renovation plans on hold temporarily or permanently.

With 22,277 passengers getting on and off Amtrak trains in Raton in 2001,
the Raton station ranked second only to Albuquerque in passenger numbers in
New Mexico.

The study indicates that not only will Amtrak's cuts result in a loss of
jobs and transportation alternatives for people living in areas where the
proposed cuts would take place, but rollbacks would also severely impact
local tourist industries and plans for station/depot and community
revitalization.
As recently as early June, Amtrak officials said the train service would
shut down all routes nationally by July if it did not receive a $200 million
loan to temporarily bolster its budget. A federal loan of $100 million was
approved last week, and plans call for Congress to OK an additional $100
million loan within weeks.

While the $200 million should keep Amtrak running until its new fiscal year
Oct. 1, Amtrak officials have said a $1.2 billion federal subsidy is
necessary to operate the railroad for another year. Former Amtrak president
George Warrington had threatened to eliminate 18 long-distance train
routes - possibly impacting Raton - if the subsidy was not obtained.
However, new Amtrak President David Gunn has not supported those promises of
his predecessor.

Some congressional representatives have warned that the $200 million loan
approved by Congress may help Amtrak make it through the next few months,
but could hurt it in the long-term because the loan will have to be paid
back from next year's subsidy appropriation, and the White House has not
appeared ready to agree to anything close to the $1.2 billion being
requested by Amtrak.

The study unveiled Monday was conducted by The Great American Station
Foundation (GASF), a Las Vegas, N.M.-based organization dedicated to the
revitalization of railway stations across the country, in cooperation with
the Coalition for Passenger Rail (CPR).

Based primarily on interviews with leaders from New Mexico's seven Amtrak
station communities - Raton, Las Vegas, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Gallup,
Deming and Lordsburg - the report from the study discusses the importance of
continued Amtrak service to public transportation, station revitalization
efforts and local economies of New Mexico.

"The report finds that Amtrak stations are a vital part of a community's
identity and image," a GASF news release said. "It notes that the historic
roots of each of these 'railroad towns' are embodied in their train depots,
and that depots are a symbol of the community's dreams for the future. The
study contends that train depots connect citizens to their past and their
future, and active train service is an important connection for Americans to
their past."

Amtrak currently employs 63 New Mexico residents with total wages of $3.62 m
illion, according to the GASF.

New Mexico U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, in supporting emergency funding for
Amtrak, has said the loss of Amtrak service would be a "catastrophe."

A 1997 law gave Amtrak five years to end its reliance on operating subsidies
from the government. Because Amtrak has not achieved operational
self-sufficiency within the timeline required by law, Amtrak submitted a
report to Congress in February suggesting three options for restructuring
the company, including allowing private companies to provide service on all
routes.

Congress appropriated $521 million for Amtrak in fiscal year 2002 and
another $100 million for safety and security improvements in the fiscal 2002
defense appropriations bill. In 2001, Amtrak lost $1.1 billion, the largest
loss in its 31-year history.


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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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