Senator Durbin Talks Rail Funding in Normal
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin says proposed cuts to Amtrak service would be devastating to the state.
The Bloomington-Normal Amtrak station is the second busiest in Illinois, and the fifth busiest in the nation.
But a house transportation bill could change that.
The bill proposes to cut Amtrak funding by 60%.
Durbin says 240,000 people a year board trains at the station, including students at Illinois state university.
He says cutting money from high speed rail means jobs will be lost as well as potential students.
"If they're going to continue to bring students downstate from the Chicago land area, we need Amtrak. The families need to know there's a reasonable way to travel that's affordable for these students," says Senator Durbin.
The senate's bill proposes Amtrak maintain its current funding levels.
Senator Durbin also met with about 100 students in AP government at Normal community high school while he was in town Tuesday.
He answered about questions on a variety of topics including the economy, illegal immigration and other initiatives he's working on in Washington.