On Monday, Rick Harnish, executive director of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association released a statement, calling for supporters of high-speed rail to contact Congress.

“In the deal worked out between the White House and House and Senate leaders late Friday night, April 8, high-speed rail funding was slashed.
The High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail (HSIPR) program was cut to $1 billion, a $1.5 billion reduction from the 2010 level. The deal also cut the transit New Starts program by $280 million.

High-speed trains are the single best investment we can make in our economic future. A $1.5 billion cut is counterproductive to the goals of jumpstarting economic growth and making the U.S. less dependent on expensive oil. Tell your legislator and senators that cutting HSIPR funding is a big step in the wrong direction.

This week, your elected officials in Washington are working out funding levels for the remainder of the current fiscal year — a process whose outcome will have significant impact on investment levels for fiscal 2012 and beyond. Contact your representative and senators today. Let them know that investment in fast, frequent and dependable trains is an investment we cannot afford to cut.”