Is Amtrak from Moline to Chicago a good use of $400 million

On Feb. 28, this paper featured the following article: “Local officials seek federal intervention.”

The problem seems to be that “About $400 million in state and federal funding is committed to the downtown (Moline) project.” And it seems to be burning holes in the trouser pockets of our city officials.

We are told that negotiations have broken down between the Illinois DOT and the Iowa Interstate Railroad.

Therefore, “The best hope for the project to move forward is to get Amtrak to go to bat for those supporting the passenger route from Chicago to Moline."

I read that to mean, that Amtrak should use a baseball bat to “convince” the nasty folks at Iowa Interstate Railroad to hop aboard the money train so the $400 million can be peed down the political drain.

Before, however, any rational taxpayer or voter hops aboard the “cannonball express” supporting this expenditure, there are some hard questions that need to be asked.

Where is the money going? Which business men or businesses stand to directly profit from seeing rail passenger service come to Moline? Which politicians?

Is rail passenger service from Chicago to Moline a necessary or wise expenditure of $400 million?

Would the money be better spent shoring up Illinois’ major under-financed pension systems? (According to a state report, the funding ratios for the five state retirement systems ranged from 22% to 45.2% as of June 30, 2022).

Or on highways? Bridges? Expanding airport service?

Is there any Amtrak passenger service within 500 miles of Chicago that makes a profit? Within 750 miles?

Amtrak’s net Loss for 2021 was $2,007,073,000, up from a paltry $1,679,032,000 in 2020 (as per Amtrak’s Consolidated Financial Statement). On its longer routes, Amtrak loses more. In 2018, Amtrak’s Chicago to San Francisco route lost $57.3 million; its Chicago to LA route lost $57.2 million; its Chicago to Seattle route lost $51.9 million; Boston to Chicago lost a mere $35.7 million.

How many millions will it cost to upgrade the tracks to accommodate high-speed-rail service? Acquire better right of way? Build new bridges? Overpasses?

How much will new engines and passenger cars cost? Pensions? Salaries?

The Wanderu website indicates that you presently can get a train from Chicago to Moline for just $42, and arrive in Moline in a mere 10 hours and 50 minutes. Would that meet your expectations Are the tracks being used sufficient?

How many trains are going to run each way each day? One? Two?

How many passengers will travel by the trains?

What will the fare be? How does that compete with flying from Moline to Chicago? A bus? Will the fares paid result in the line being profitable? Or will the taxpayers forever be in “bailout mode?”

Once you take a train from Moline to Chicago, where will you disembark? How far will that be from your real destination? How will you get from the train station to your actual destination? Will you go by cab or Uber? What will that cost?

How often would you take this train? What about your family members? Or will it be more convenient and cheaper to simply drive up?

My best guess is that the voters and taxpayers will be far better off if our public officials who are so on fixated passenger rail service would buy a Lionel train, and build a nice layout in their basements.

That way, the $400 million that is burning a hole in their pockets might be put to a far better public use.

First Published in the Moline Dispatch and Rock Island Argus on March 2, 2023. 

Copyright 2023, John Donald O'Shea