OH: Bernie Moreno’s war on rails: Is it about public service or personal profit?

Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno’s call to eliminate Amtrak during a Senate subcommittee meeting on modernizing U.S. rail had Today in Ohio hosts questioning whether his background as an auto dealer gives him a conflict of interest.

The fledgling senator’s suggestion that the government should abandon rail service altogether ignited a debate about the true purpose of public infrastructure and who really benefits from transportation policy decisions.

“He was speaking at a Senate subcommittee meeting on modernizing U.S. Rail, and he said, why is the government even in the rail biz? And why is subsidizing and owning a railroad when we’re terrible at it?” explained Lisa, laying out Moreno’s argument against government involvement in passenger rail.

The timing of Moreno’s anti-Amtrak stance is notable, as Governor Mike DeWine has been studying several new Ohio routes that would connect the state to Pittsburgh, New York, and Chicago. Under the proposed plan, Amtrak would cover the first five years of operating expenses on these expanded routes.

Chris Quinn, the podcast’s host, said Moreno could have a conflict of interest in going after Amtrak: “The problem with Moreno trying to kill off Amtrak is where he made his money. He made his money in the auto business and in America, the auto interest made sure we did not have a railroad network like you see in Europe because they wanted the money poured into highways.”

The assertion highlights a rarely discussed historical reality: America’s underdeveloped passenger rail system isn’t an accident. It’s the result of decades of automotive industry influence that prioritized highway development over rail infrastructure. While Europe built extensive passenger rail networks that connect cities efficiently, the United States invested heavily in interstate highways that benefit private vehicle ownership.

Quinn further emphasized the fundamental misunderstanding at the heart of Moreno’s position: “And his claiming that it should be run like a business is why it’s a problem with when people who are from business go in thinking they have the answers for government. Two completely different animals. One is to make money for people, the other is to serve us. That’s why government exists.”

This gets to the philosophical heart of the debate: Should public transportation exist primarily to generate profit, or to provide essential services to citizens? While private enterprises like Florida’s Brightline (which Moreno praised in his comments) can successfully operate passenger rail in high-traffic corridors, many routes across America would never be profitable but still serve crucial transportation needs.

Garvin also touched on the practical challenges Amtrak faces due to America’s privatized rail infrastructure. “Most railroad tracks in this country are privately owned. And unfortunately, Amtrak has to deal with that and they have to make way for freight traffic, which means trains will sit for a couple hours waiting for traffic to pass,” Garvin noted.

Listen to the discussion here.

Note: Artificial intelligence was used to help generate this story from Today in Ohio, a news podcast discussion by cleveland.com editors. Visitors to cleveland.com have asked for more text stories based on website podcast discussions.

Listen to full “Today in Ohio” episodes where Chris Quinn hosts our daily half-hour news podcast, with Editorial Board member Lisa Garvin, Impact Editor Leila Atassi and Content Director Laura Johnston.

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