Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, September 23, 1993                   TAG: 9309290326
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A14   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

DOES BOWERS HAVE THE TICKET?

Perhaps - but three cheers anyway. It is to Bowers' credit that he has launched this initiative, fed tremendous grass-roots support for it, and pursued the goal vigorously despite the odds against success.

Bowers' chances of selling Congress on a proposed new New York-to-Atlanta Amtrak route - with stops in Washington, Charlottesville, Lynchburg, Roanoke, Bristol, Knoxville and other points along the way - are certainly debatable. Some say he might as well try to hang the moon over the Mill Mountain star.

But the proposal does have important backing in Congress. It's been endorsed by Virginia Sens. John Warner and Charles Robb (whom Bowers and an entourage of supporters met with yesterday) and by Reps. Rick Boucher of Abingdon and Bob Goodlatte of Roanoke.

The idea also has been enthusiastically supported by local governments and economic-development and tourism leaders throughout Southwest Virginia. And in Tennessee. And by the Atlanta committee planning the 1996 Olympic Games in that city.

As for Roanokers? Bowers' Amtrak initiative is probably a sentimental favorite - unrivaled perhaps by anything in recent years save the reopening of Hotel Roanoke.

That's to be expected in a historic railroad town, the Virginia city most identified with railroads - and, ironically and unfortunately, the largest city in the state that has had no passenger-train service for many years.

Sentiment, of course, is not enough to get this project on track. It will take money, big money. The estimate, possibly understated, is $60 million for new equipment, then a $10 million subsidy every year thereafter - if Amtrak is correct in saying that the route has no chance of breaking even.

So: a losing proposition, at a time when Congress is telling Amtrak that it must become financially self-sufficient? Subsidies for sentimental journeys, at a time when the Washington byword is reduced spending for nearly every government program? A Virginia benefit, at a time when Bowers' plan is competing with a dozen other proposals for new, nonprofitable Amtrak routes? This may be Mayor Quixote at work.

On the other hand, Amtrak's hunch that the route would be a loss leader - an assessment seemingly shared by Norfolk Southern Chairman David Goode - may be wrong.

What's needed is a comprehensive marketing survey to test the hunch. Even assuming a lack of profitability, the study should weigh the costs against the almost-certain economic-development and tourism benefits to localities and people along the route. Those benefits aren't merely sentimental; they come with a price tag.

Bowers' efforts won't have been wasted if he can convince Congress to order such a study, with possible financial participation by the three states (Virginia, Tennessee and Georgia) and other interested parties.

In any case, Roanoke's mayor deserves support for including passenger-train service - and the increased tourism it could bring - in his vision for this region's future. He also gets credit for getting other community leaders, in Southwest Virginia and beyond, on board his initiative.

It is helpful, generally speaking, when local officials look beyond their municipal boundaries for cooperative ventures of regional scope and benefit. If leaders across this part of the state could get together on this initiative, maybe they can work on other projects down the line.

Bowers did not come back from Washington this week with a ticket for Roanokers to ride. But - who knows - someday we may be able to get there from here.