When I turned 35, I had a big birthday bash. It was a time to celebrate accomplishments, reflect on the past and plan for the future. Today, Amtrak becomes 35, but they are hoping no one will notice.

May 1, 1971 was, at the time, a dark day for train riders. The National Railroad Passenger Corporation?s first action was to slash in half the number of passenger trains to be operated across the country. Santa Fe?s famed San Francisco Chief to Chicago was discontinued and Union Pacific?s City of Los Angeles departed the city of angels one last time. The country mourned the loss of old friends such as the Panama Limited, Denver Zephyr, and the North Coast Limited. The Manhattan Limited made its final run and the Midnight Special shined its ever-lovin? light one last time.

John Volpe, the transportation secretary under President Nixon who steered the creation of Amtrak, saw passenger rail as part of a balanced investment in transportation. Although handicapped from the start by under-capitalization and unrealistic expectations of financial self-sufficiency, Amtrak has nevertheless been able to increase ridership and introduce new trains. In the Northeast Corridor, 150-mile-per-hour Acela Express trains are taking market share from airlines. Recently refurbished Superliners give riders on the Empire Builder a spectacular ride through the Northern Rockies. Car-obsessed California has some of the finest intercity trains in the country. Ridership is setting new records in that state, as well as in Illinois and the Pacific Northwest.

Yet, Amtrak remains a target for critics. Many long-distance trains run late due to increasing congestion on the freight railroads they have to travel. Maintenance has fallen behind in the heavily-traveled Northeast Corridor, and the need for federal support remains a sore point for many in Congress and the White House. Last year, President Bush tried to zero out its budget, a tactic repeated from the Reagan and Bush-senior administrations.

Nevertheless, government has long supported transportation in the United States, from canal-building and railroad land grants to construction of Interstate highways, airports and the national air traffic control system. That?s appropriate, because transportation benefits our economy and our mobility.

Any discussion of Amtrak must include a discussion of its direct and indirect economic benefits. Train ridership eases highway congestion, cuts fuel consumption and reduces emissions. A strong national passenger rail network would provide an option for business and leisure travelers in this time of high fuel costs and congested skies.

Unfortunately, the U.S. is far behind competing economies in enjoying the efficiencies of rail travel. China has just announced an investment of $22 billion to build two high-speed rail lines, one of which is an extension of the world?s first commercial train using magnetic-levitation technology. Korea is building a 180 mile-per-hour corridor from Seoul to Busan and Mokpo. Russia intends to build a high-speed line from Moscow to St. Petersburg. Italy and Spain are also investing in new high-speed trains.

Three actions are necessary for the U.S. to catch up with our competition.

First, Congressional action is needed to eliminate Amtrak?s annual Capitol Hill street-corner begging. By an overwhelming, bipartisan 96-3 vote last year, the Senate passed a six-year funding plan which would give the railroad financial stability. That legislation now needs to be taken up by the House of Representatives and signed by the president. If the White House is serious about Amtrak reform, it must give the railroad the necessary resources to do so.

Secondly, under Amtrak?s Strategic Reform Initiatives, if approved by Congress, capital investments for corridor services would be based on an 80/20 federal-state matching program similar to highway projects. Currently, unlike highways and airports, there is no federal matching program for intercity passenger rail.

Finally, more public/private partnerships are required to alleviate the serious capacity constraints facing the nation?s rail system. Freight railroads are bursting at the seams with international container traffic and are investing billions in added track, improved signaling and more crews just to keep up. Lack of capacity often prevents state rail planners from adding commuter and intercity passenger trains. The Union Pacific railroad refuses to even consider additional services on its lines in California.

Passenger rail has climbed out of the darkness, but America?s lopsided transportation policy has made it impossible for Amtrak to become the ?standard for the world? that John Volpe once hoped.

For my part, I?m going to celebrate with an old friend. I?m getting on a train today ? the one Arlo Guthrie sang about ? and I?m riding it to New Orleans. Both the train, and the city, belong to America. And they both need our attention.