Passenger Trains > "Kristi Noem Upset Amtrak Won't Use...For Rail... to AK, HI, SD"

https://www.newsweek.com/kristi-noem-upset-amtrak-wont-use-infrastructure-money-rail-lines-alaska-hawaii-south-dakota-1580594

Actually Senator Tester is the one who should be upset when there is already grassroots movement for Southern Montana. Amtrak can ill-afford to lose any Blue Dog Democrat. 

I can understand wanting to restore a certain long distance train that was discontinued in 1961 -- perhaps before she was born?  It would take a lot of cash and property lawyers to make that happen.

Still, with the politics of the day, I find it easier to believe she is just grandstanding & mud slinging at something she would never vote for anyway.

Brian

Amtrak's own press release states that their plan is equitable, yet leaves out an entire state.

The residents of South Dakota should demand that Amtrak provide service to their state or no state at all.

This is not a "national plan"

Restore SD service to Deadwood...

Ray

---

Let's see her vote for the package, she's  just one of all who is on the right side of the fence against any spending Biden wants. I want to see her vote for the bridge to Hawaii, single or double track Kristi?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/02/21 10:46 by SP4360.

altoonafn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Amtrak's own press release states that their plan
> is equitable, yet leaves out an entire state.
>
> The residents of South Dakota should demand that
> Amtrak provide service to their state or no state
> at all.
>
> This is not a "national plan"

My thought is that the residents of South Dakota couldn't give a hoot about passenger rail.  They've had
a half century to pipe up about it.  And you forgot to mention Wyoming, which is in the same boat.

I can understand Noem being upset about South Dakota not among the states included in Amtrak's current proposal if she had been previously advocating for new passenger rail service to her state.  To the best of my knowledge, she has never advocated for such.  If anyone can post a link to a source describing Noem's passenger rail advocacy, feel free to post it on Trainorders.

As for Alaska, Alaska Railroad's passenger services are already supported with federal funding, just not through Amtrak.  Her inclusion of Alaska in her complaint represents laziness.

With respect to Hawaii, all one can ask is "Seriously?"  No one complains when Wyoming is not on a list for Army Corps of Engineers inland waterway projects.  That said, it's not as though Hawaii is being left out of federally supported passenger rail improvements as a new 20-mile rail rapid transit line is under construction for which substantial federal funding is being provided.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 04/02/21 11:05 by RuleG.

Other than Sandpoint in the middle of the night, Idaho get nothing either, and is not on Stephen Gardner's fantasy map, which is an attempted long-term money grab from states for PRIIA-209 trains.  

Maybe Amtrak could connect with the Black Hills Central passenger train.

Posted from Android

Uhhhh . . .  SP4360
Governors don't typically Vote in congress 

altoonafn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Amtrak's own press release states that their plan is equitable, yet leaves out an entire state.
>
> The residents of South Dakota should demand that Amtrak provide service to their state or no state at all.
>
> This is not a "national plan"

Here is your chance to make a positive suggestion!

What route would you suggest a train serving South Dakota take?

Brian

choodude Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> altoonafn Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Amtrak's own press release states that their
> plan is equitable, yet leaves out an entire
> state.
> >
> > The residents of South Dakota should demand that
> Amtrak provide service to their state or no state
> at all.
> >
> > This is not a "national plan"
>
> Here is your chance to make a positive
> suggestion!
>
> What route would you suggest a train serving South
> Dakota take?
>
> Brian

I am not a route planner. But a national plan that bypasses entire states while claiming to be equitable and fair is neither of those things. 

I can only imagine the uproar on here if New Jersey or New York was left out of the national plan. 

South Dakota has 1/3rd the population of Queens County, New York, and its RR tracks do not lead lead to anywhere of consequence. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/02/21 16:05 by joemvcnj.

I'd like to see Rapid City to Sioux Falls on the Milwaukee Road. High speed rail without an impossible land acquisition problem. Think big! (Or keep dreaming.) I'll keep thinking of other possibilities so I can be useful. 

They get four damned Senators for the states of North and South Dakata.  Plesanty of representation.  Gimme a break.  Noem is just a blowhard trying to fundraise for her next move.  

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> South Dakota has 1/3rd the population of Queens County, New York, and its RR tracks do to lead to anywhere of consequence. 

Just paint pretty pictures of passengers eating in a dining car on the sides of all those oil tank cars!

Problem solved.

Brian

Cannot even take her seriously......nothing but laughs from me.  It is obvious she is clueless when it comes to understanding transportation issues.  Just like her covid stupidity.

Do the people of South Dakota have any interest in passenger rail?

A cursory Google search doesn't suggest any well spring of interest. At all.

Posted from Android

Does anyone seriously belive Amtrak is going to sit there and say "Nah, we're not interested in serving South Dakota."  Of course not.

Where is her proposal for passenger rail in the state?  Has she been lobbying her legislature for PRIIA-209 funding?  Until that happens, this is nothing but empty political grandstanding.

jello

sums007 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My thought is that the residents of South Dakota
> couldn't give a hoot about passenger rail. 
> They've had
> a half century to pipe up about it.  And you
> forgot to mention Wyoming, which is in the same
> boat.

It worked!  Stupid propagandanistic headline works!

The actual headling from the left wing "Newsweek" is:
"Kristi Noem Upset Amtrak Won't Use Infrastructure Money
For Rail Lines to Alaska, Hawaii and South Dakota"

I guess I'm supposed to think she's so dumb she expects
Congress to approve money to fund a railline TO Hawaii.

No doubt she's frustrated with the fact that this is a gigantic
bill footed by the American taxpayer essentially granting
"free money" to the states. All 47 of them.  Oh, wait - there
are 50 aren't there?  Or are we up to 52 yet?

I haven't yet reviewed the "Infrastructure" bill, but it no doubt
dedicates billions of funds towards projects that have nothing
to do with infrastructure.  Gee - wonder why she's upset.

/Mitch