Cutting Amtrak would negatively affect 45 percent of Americans, a report by the National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) said.
The report, called Dismantling a National Transportation Network, found that increased federal funding for Amtrak spurs economic growth in communities served by the network.
The proposed White House budget cuts would disproportionately affect rural communities while maintaining service in wealthier, more populous areas. More than 25 percent of passengers use long-distance routes to travel to work while 61 percent use it to visit family or friends.
“There are 220 communities in 23 states of so-called ‘flyover country’ that would pay the economic price when trains disappear from their towns and cities,” NARP President and CEO Jim Mathews said. “But, if we have the foresight to invest in middle America, the whole nation would reap the benefits.”
The expansion of railway networks brings private real estate developers and seed money to small towns, the report said. It also saves lives. If 1 percent of commuters switched from car to railroad, traffic deaths would decrease by 200 annually which equates to $1.88 billion in economic value, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Amtrak employs more than 20,000 people and annually purchases $1.6 billion in goods and services.