President Trump has recently revealed his budget for the fiscal year 2019, which includes a very extensive infrastructure plan. One notable aspect of this infrastructural reform is his plan to cut federal grants to Amtrak by over half. However, he has also stated he intends to increase railroad safety. His infrastructure plan is completely detrimental, as slashing the budget of the passenger railroad service will only decrease the level of safety. This comes in the wake of three fatal crashes since December. Experts agree that one of these crashes could have been prevented had a positive train control system been instituted, which shows how President Trump's plan is completely unhelpful.
Source:
http://time.com/5144561/trump-budget-cuts-amtrak-half/
3 comments:
I agree that this is more unlikely to increase safety. Experts have predicted that this budget cut makes long distance routes improbable. Not only does this cut off an entire means of travel for some people, it also affects commuters- who used to be able to afford it. Amtrak is known for faster trip times, and more comfortable seating, I wonder how that will change if the budget cut goes through.
Honestly I don't see a problem with this. I know trains are much more prevalent on the east coast but in general trains are not the most popular form of transportation. Trains are slow and there are better alternatives for cheap transportation. An Amtrak ride from Philadelphia to New York starts at $49 compared to a grey hound bus which is just $10.
I agree with Michael. We don't really see many people using trains these days. Many plane tickets are so much cheaper now (low-cost airlines) and can travel a lot faster than trains does. I dont see how this will help increase safety to passengers.
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