The United States of Rail Supporters is Alive and Well

Sunday, June 14, 2015

When someone asks to join one of the rail-related Facebook groups that I administer, I take a quick look at their profile. The idea is to keep out spammers, but it can be an eye-opening experience.

Some of the folks I've reviewed belong to groups, and "like" people and organizations, that are pretty alien from what I'm used to. But, no matter how old they are and where they're from, they have one thing in common: an interest in trains.

So despite the partisan bickering we sometimes see in Washington, DC, and in some state capitols, I believe that Americans of all ages, ethnicities, and political beliefs, support passenger rail. Those of us who talked with our Congressional representatives on behalf of the National Association of Railroad Passengers in April were pleased at the positive receptions we received from almost all of the representatives we spoke with, from both parties and all regions.

In the run-up to the 2016 elections, please keep talking to your Federal, state and local elected officials. Participate in your party's nominating process. Make sure that your party has a pro-rail plank in its platform, and help it select candidates that support passenger rail.

With your help, we can put partisanship behind us, and build the rail system everyone wants: as NARP calls it, A Connected America.

--CH