All Aboard

Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta's been on a rail against Amtrak's cost. But he was praising the Alaska Railroad up in Anchorage. Al Kamen quotes Secretary Mineta as saying:

"The Alaska Railroad has developed an innovative service that has made it the only passenger railroad in the nation that doesn't require operating subsidies."

That's true. But the Alaska Railroad has gotten $472 million in "capital" subsidies from taxpayers since 1996. That includes the $28 million in money from Washington that paid for the train station Sec Mineta used as a backdrop for his speech.

Amtrak does get $1.2 billion in operating subsidies. But there are some differences:

• Amtrak: 22,000 miles of track (in 46 states)
  Alaska Railroad: 525 miles of track (in 1 state)
  
• Amtrak: 300 trains per day
  Alaska Railroad: 20 trains per day summer, 14 per day winter
  
• Amtrak: 25 million passengers per year
  Alaska Railroad: 500,000 passengers per year
  
• Amtrak: Passenger service only
  Alaska Railroad: Passenger and more lucrative freight

And half the passengers the Alaska Railroad hauls, ride in private cars belonging to cruise ship companies -- ferrying folks from cruise ships to airports. So technically, those are crusie ship passengers, not regular Alaska Railroad passengers.

And Alaska is home to Sen Ted Stevens (R-AK), a member of Appropriations Committee -- the folks who figure where to spend your money. Lots of it goes to the home states of committee members. Sen Stevens has a news release featured on his website today talking about $38.8 million he's landed for the Alaska Railroad. (WashPost) [HT: T. McGhee] [Photo Credit: Alaska Dept of Tourism]