DEFEND OUR LONG DISTANCE TRAINS!

YOU MAY BE ABLE TO HELP NARP and ALL ABOARD MINNESOTA DEFEND THE LONG-DISTANCE TRAINS!

We all know that Amtrak's long-distance trains have been threatened for some time and for a variety of reasons. Despite the many benefits these trains provide to the American public, they've been the subject of unending political attacks. 

One of the most effective arguments we can use with public officials is that the long distance trains provide people in small communities all across America with mobility. Whether it’s the Southwest Chief or the Cardinal or the Empire Builder, these trains are the only viable form of public transportation for literally millions of Americans.

ANOTHER VERY POWERFUL ARGUMENT

The chairman of our board of directors, Bob Stewart, was recently in Garden City, Kansas, one of the communities to be affected if the Southwest Chief were to stop operating. During his visit there, Bob was approached by a nurse from St. Catherine’s Hospital. She told him that they have patients with medical problems for whom St. Catherine's does not have the appropriate facilities or expertise. Those patients are referred to bigger and better equipped hospitals in Kansas City or Albuquerque or Chicago. And, she said, they are often transported there on the Southwest Chief!

Medical patients turning to one of Amtrak’s long-distance trains for safe, comfortable and affordable transportation can’t be unique to Garden City. It must also be happening in other communities and on other trains.  And it’s a powerful argument to use with the politicians who are looking for excuses to shut down Amtrak’s long-distance network.

THAT’S THE BACKGROUND. HERE’S HOW YOU CAN HELP

Do you have any personal knowledge of long-distance trains transporting people in need of specialized medical services from rural communities to big-city medical facilities? If so, please email me at jjablonski@narprail.org, and I'll follow up with you to find out all the details so we can strengthen our case for the nation’s long-distance trains (you can also submit information anonymously online, if you'd prefer). Of course, your privacy will be respected and any information provided will be held in strict confidence.

As always, thank you for your advocacy of passenger trains and for supporting NARP’s and All Aboard Minnesota efforts in our common cause.

Content supplied by Narp