For the more than 600,000 people who used Amtrak trains last year to travel, possible state budget cuts for the upcoming fiscal year might end their way of traveling around the country.
Celeste Shoulders, a supervisor in the Eli Broad College of Business, said she uses the Amtrak train about 30 times a year to visit family and friends. East Lansing's Amtrak station is located at 1240 S. Harrison Ave.
"The train is doing what it's supposed to be doing and people are taking it," Shoulders said. "It would be a great loss to Michigan if they were to eliminate the funding."
Some students who take the train said they feel the train is vital to East Lansing and MSU.
"I think it's important to get our voice out there. Some people take this train daily," said hospitality business junior Michael Macal. "We need to make sure that we keep this resource. If you don't do anything about it, it'll go away."
The state of Michigan provided $7.1 million last year to support two Amtrak rail lines: the Blue Water, which goes from Port Huron to East Lansing to Chicago, and the Pere Marquette, which goes from Grand Rapids to Chicago, according to a press release.
The House appropriations committee wants to cut Amtrak funding by $1 million for the upcoming fiscal year, as outlined in the budget proposal that is currently in the Senate for consideration.
Those who support the budget cut said the money will go toward other means of transportation.
"What I did with that $1 million was half was put into bussing for disabled people," said Rep. Shelley Taub, R-Bloomfield Hills. "The other half was put toward a subsidy for senior bussing for the Metropolitan Detroit area."
Opponents of the budget cut said losing Amtrak will be detrimental to Michigan's economy.
"From the standpoint of the line from Flint that begins in Port Huron, (the train) is an economic stimulant for the entire region," said Rep. Lee Gonzales, D-Flint Township. "We can attract some tourism from Chicago coming into Michigan."
Opponents of the budget cut also said that the number of Amtrak riders has been increasing.
"The ridership was up considerably in 2004," Gonzales said. "It was up about 20 percent from the previous year, and this year it's up 12 to 14 percent so far."
Amtrak employs over 100 Michigan residents who might lose their jobs if this cut passes, Director of Save Our Trains Michigan Matt Marderosian said.
"I'll be honest, it's not looking real good," he said. "If Amtrak has to start shutting down in Michigan, it's going to lose 133 jobs in Michigan, and I don't think Michigan can stand to lose more jobs."
However, proponents of the budget cut said they feel the ridership has gone down.
"I think Amtrak has been losing ridership; it has gone down in the past 10 years on the line from Port Huron to Chicago," Taub said. "Yet we continue to up our funding ? Amtrak isn't helping get people to work or poor people to the doctor."
But Amtrak riders feel the train has much to offer future generations and should stay around.
"The train is wonderful," said Maria Kisting, an Idaho resident who was waiting for the Blue Water train to take her to visit her family. "For future generations to not experience the train, I feel our generation owes that to them. To deprive them of that is ludicrous."
