By Matt Sepic, KWMU
St. Louis – U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta says changes President Bush is proposing for Amtrak would improve the passenger rail service.
Mineta was in St. Louis Thursday. He says direct federal subsidies for Amtrak are not working.
"Our proposal would replace that failed arrangement with the same federal-state kind of partnership that is the foundation of every other form of passenger transportation," Mineta said.
The Bush plan would provide federal matching funds to states for Amtrak, and open passenger rail service to competition.
But Amtrak supporters say it would kill the service because state budgets are too tight.
Last week a committee in the Missouri House voted to zero out state funding for Amtrak.
But the budget process is still in its early stages, and Governor Matt Blunt supports continued subsidies for the service.