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SUPPORT AMTRAK - INVEST IN AMERICA'S INFRASTRUCTURE
"President Bush is willing to spend billions to send a couple of people to Mars, but not one dime for Amtrak`s 25 million annual travelers who want better rail service to destinations on this planet," said Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)
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April 10, 2009, a beautiful early Spring day in Westborough, Mass. Here's the Boston section of the Lake Shore Limited heading west and looking like a real train again. Study this photo carefully and you'll see the very recently restored sleeper and a full dinette car, all Chicago bound. Amtrak has a long, long way to go in our part of the world, where we desperately need the restoration of service to New York City, but perhaps the Lake Shore is a harbinger of good news ahead. We need it after one of the worst winters in history. Camera: Olympus 510 dslr with Oly 40-150 telephoto lens. |
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Friends of Amtrak Features :
NEW: Ron
Goodenow's Attic
- a photo collection
of railroad memorabilia including timetables,
tickets, menus and more.
Generally, children from 2 to 15 are half-fare when traveling with
an adult. There is a 15 percent discount for adults over 62.
PHOTOS
Florida
Support Amtrak Advocacy
Books on Amtrak--an annotated
bibliography.
"Support
An Expanded Amtrak" Bumper Sticker.
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February 14, 2009
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Stimulus Bill Passes - February 14, 2009.
Not enough details yet ... but the final version of President Obama's Stimulus Bill is good news for passenger rail advocates. It appears that there will be $8 billion for construction of high-speed railways. This is in the form of capital assistance for the combined categories of Intercity Passenger Rail Service (the federal-state matching grants program first introduced in the Fiscal 2008 appropriations) and High Speed Rail Corridors, the new program authorized under Section 501 of last year's passenger rail authorization. There is an addional $1.3 billion in capital funds specifically for Amtrak, of which $450 million is to be set aside for "security improvements to include life safety improvements." That leaves $850 million for normal capital grants, of which no more than 60% "shall be spent for capital improvements on the NEC. That means that $340 million is the minimum which Amtrak could devote to non-NEC service.Word on the Hill has it that President Obama himself intervened on this package to secure these funding levels.
US Senate OKs $13 Billion Amtrak Funding Bill With 74-24 Vote - October 1, 2008
The first Amtrak authorization bill since 1997 passed the U.S. Senate by a large margin, 74 - 24. The bill would provide $13 billion for Amtrak over five years.
Senator John McCain voted NO on the measure. Senator Barack Obama voted YES.
The legislation will "substantially change our federal policy toward passenger rail travel," Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., said. President Bush had threatened to veto a previous Amtrak funding bill earlier this year but the overwhelming margin in both chambers is large enough to overcome a veto. The legislation authorizes $2.5 billion a year for Amtrak, almost double its current federal funding level. The money would cover operating and capital expenses, including equipment purchases and railroad repairs. About $1.4 billion would help pay down Amtrak's more than $3 billion in debt. About $1.9 billion would fund a matching-grant program to encourage states to invest in rail expansion and repair. The legislation also contains provisions designed to make Amtrak's management more accountable, such as financial reporting standard, and improve rail safety standards with "new" technology.
The bill requires a technology known as positive train control, or PTC, on passenger trains and certain hazmat rail main lines by 2015. The technology automatically stops trains that run a stop signal and has been used on portions of the Northeast Corridor where Amtrak owns the rail lines. Most rail experts would agree that the Sept. 12 train crash in California that killed 25 people would probably have been avoided had this technology been in operation. In addition, the bill would cap worker shifts at 12 hours and would mandate 10-hour rest periods for train crews and signal employees.
Authorization bills are NOT appropriations, however, and this means that future sessions of Congress must approve budget appropriations each year to actually provide the funding levels in this authorization bill.
SENATE ROLL CALL VOTE: Yea = Pro Amtrak. Nea = Anti-Amtrak
Alphabetical by Senator Name
| Akaka (D-HI), Yea
Alexander (R-TN), Yea Allard (R-CO), Nay Barrasso (R-WY), Nay Baucus (D-MT), Yea Bayh (D-IN), Yea Bennett (R-UT), Yea Biden (D-DE), Not Voting Bingaman (D-NM), Yea Bond (R-MO), Nay Boxer (D-CA), Yea Brown (D-OH), Yea Brownback (R-KS), Nay Bunning (R-KY), Nay Burr (R-NC), Nay Byrd (D-WV), Yea Cantwell (D-WA), Yea Cardin (D-MD), Yea Carper (D-DE), Yea Casey (D-PA), Yea Chambliss (R-GA), Nay Clinton (D-NY), Yea Coburn (R-OK), Nay Cochran (R-MS), Yea Coleman (R-MN), Yea Collins (R-ME), Yea Conrad (D-ND), Yea Corker (R-TN), Yea Cornyn (R-TX), Yea Craig (R-ID), Nay Crapo (R-ID), Yea DeMint (R-SC), Nay Dodd (D-CT), Yea Dole (R-NC), Yea | Domenici (R-NM), Yea
Dorgan (D-ND), Yea Durbin (D-IL), Yea Ensign (R-NV), Nay Enzi (R-WY), Nay Feingold (D-WI), Yea Feinstein (D-CA), Yea Graham (R-SC), Nay Grassley (R-IA), Yea Gregg (R-NH), Nay Hagel (R-NE), Yea Harkin (D-IA), Yea Hatch (R-UT), Yea Hutchison (R-TX), Yea Inhofe (R-OK), Nay Inouye (D-HI), Yea Isakson (R-GA), Yea Johnson (D-SD), Yea Kennedy (D-MA), Not Voting Kerry (D-MA), Yea Klobuchar (D-MN), Yea Kohl (D-WI), Yea Kyl (R-AZ), Nay Landrieu (D-LA), Yea Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea Leahy (D-VT), Yea Levin (D-MI), Yea Lieberman (ID-CT), Yea Lincoln (D-AR), Yea Lugar (R-IN), Yea Martinez (R-FL), Nay McCain (R-AZ), Nay McCaskill (D-MO), Yea McConnell (R-KY), Yea | Menendez (D-NJ), Yea
Mikulski (D-MD), Yea Murkowski (R-AK), Yea Murray (D-WA), Yea Nelson (D-FL), Yea Nelson (D-NE), Yea Obama (D-IL), Yea Pryor (D-AR), Yea Reed (D-RI), Yea Reid (D-NV), Yea Roberts (R-KS), Yea Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea Salazar (D-CO), Yea Sanders (I-VT), Yea Schumer (D-NY), Yea Sessions (R-AL), Nay Shelby (R-AL), Nay Smith (R-OR), Yea Snowe (R-ME), Yea Specter (R-PA), Yea Stabenow (D-MI), Yea Stevens (R-AK), Yea Sununu (R-NH), Nay Tester (D-MT), Yea Thune (R-SD), Nay Vitter (R-LA), Nay Voinovich (R-OH), Nay Warner (R-VA), Yea Webb (D-VA), Yea Whitehouse (D-RI), Yea Wicker (R-MS), Yea Wyden (D-OR), Yea |
All NO votes were cast by Republicans!
BUSH EXPECTED TO SIGN AMTRAK AUTHORIZATION BILL - October 3, 2008
President George W. Bush is expected to sign the Amtrak authorization bill
that passed both houses of Congress. The legislation calls for higher levels
of funding for Amtrak and other passenger-rail services, setting up a broader
debate next year over federal transportation spending that highlights differences
between the two major candidates seeking to succeed President Bush, who in the
past has proposed zeroing out Amtrak.
The White House announcement came Thursday, after the Senate approved the bill
by a 74-24 vote. The House passed it last week by a wide margin.
The number of riders on Amtrak, commuter rail and rapid-transit services has soared this year along with gasoline prices, leading Congress to increase federal support. The shift to rail and away from cars will also affect next year's debate on transportation spending. Currently, the federal government spends more than $40 billion annually on highways, roughly $10 billion on mass transit and about $1.4 billion on Amtrak.
The debate over how federal funds are allocated will take place with a new president in the White House. The Amtrak vote offered a preview of how John McCain and Barack Obama would approach the issues relating to America's own infrastructure, transportation and environment.
Senator McCain, the Republican nominee, has been a consistent and leading critic
of Amtrak and voted against the funding. Senator Obama, the Democratic candidate
who has consistently supported an expansion of passenger rail service, voted
for it.
After casting his vote Wednesday Senator Obama, in keeping with his broader
calls to invest in roads, bridges and other transportation infrastructure, said:
"American businesses and families deserve to have safe, reliable and efficient
transportation options," he said. "For far too long, our nation's
lack of investment in too many aspects of our infrastructure has undermined
that important goal."
In addition, several Democratic leaders say concerns over congestion, pollution
and oil consumption should lead to greater spending on passenger-rail service.
"We spend more than $40 billion each year on highways...but only a little
over $1 billion on rail, and we had to fight tooth and nail to get that,"
said Sen. Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey. "This is going to change."
HOUSE//SENATE SUPPORT INCREASED APPROPRIATIONS FOR AMTRAK - July 19, 2008
Both houses, defying the anti-Amtrak obstinacy of the Bush administration, have passed five-year appropriations for the passenger railroad ($15 billion in the House, $11.4 billion in the Senate) which represent not only a substantial increase in funding but a long-term commitment that would allow Amtrak to invest in all the heavy, expensive stuff — both fixed and rolling — required to make a railroad run. The bills are being reconciled by House and Senate conferees, but passage seems certain.
However, appropriations are NOT allocations. Future sessions of Congress would have to actually allocate these funds in each of the five fiscal year budgets. In the past Congress has not always followed through on appropriations.
The crises in highway and air transportation have sent Amtrak ridership soaring, and this year — with a projected 28 million riders — promises to be Amtrak's biggest yet, up 2 million from the year before.
Where Amtrak owns its own rails, train schedules are much more reliable. In the Northeast Corridor, for example, trains are on schedule 76 per cent of the time, while the "Texas Eagle," for most of its route at the mercy of the freight-hauling Union Pacific Railroad, has been in the last year on schedule only 17 per cent of the time. The new appropriation bill makes a feint at this crucial barrier to efficient rail travel by putting investment into easing congestion in 18 of the most-crowded rail corridors. On time performance has been a huge problem for Amtrak and generally speaking the ridership public is unaware of the obstacles that both the aging infrastructure and the private freight railroads present to Amtrak trains.
In every other urban, industrial nation, having a well-rounded passenger transportation
system of roads, airways and rails is seen as a no-brainer. The meltdowns at
the gas pump and the airport terminal might have finally pushed the reluctant
U.S. Congress to pick up its long-overdue responsibilities toward efficient
passenger rail.
BUSH WANTS AMTRAK FUNDING CUT OF 40 PERCENT - February 9, 2008.
WASHINGTON – Though he has been rebuffed the last three years by Congress,
President Bush is again seeking major cuts in funding for Amtrak. Bush’s
budget proposal for 2009, which he sent to Congress this week, calls for $800
million for the beleaguered passenger rail service – a 40 percent cut
from last year. The proposal now faces a new round of stiff resistance from
many in Congress and passenger rail supporters. The cuts would cripple Amtrak.
The 2009 proposed funding level is “inadequate to operate national passenger
rail service as it is currently configured,” Amtrak spokesman Cliff Black
said. Amtrak has lost $480 million per year the last several years, Black said.
In 2006, Congress ignored the administration’s request to cut all of Amtrak’s
government funding. And key lawmakers say they plan to again ignore Bush’s
request. In the House, Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn., the transportation committee
chairman, will introduce a separate bill to boost Amtrak’s funding above
requested levels, committee spokeswoman Mary Kerry said. “The traveling
public has embraced passenger rail service as an alternative to high gas prices
and airline delays, and that has made Amtrak a critical player in the nation’s
multimodal transportation system,” Oberstar said in a statement.
Most of the money in Bush’s proposal would go to maintaining tracks,
trains and signals. The budget also calls for Amtrak to become more efficient,
requiring Amtrak to reduce financial losses by focusing more on services that
make money.
Amtrak spokesman Cliff Black said the company plans to submit its own budget
proposal to Congress later this month.
SENATE PASSES AMTRAK REAUTHORIZATION - January 14, 2008.
The U.S. Senate has passed the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act (PRIIA) on a 70-22 vote. The bill authorizes Amtrak and establishes teh first federal matching program for states' intercity passenger rail investments. Work on a companion House bill is now underway.
HOUSE DEFEATS ANTI-AMTRAK AMENDMENTS - July 25, 2007.
The U.S. House of Representatives has rejected moves by conservatives to cut
taxpayer subsidies for Amtrak as backers of the unprofitable passenger railroad
cemented their position in the Democratic Congress. The vote Tuesday came as
the House emphatically dismissed a move by Jeff Flake, Republican of Arizona,
to eliminate Amtrak's nearly $500 million operating subsidy. The vote was 328
to 94.
Flake argued that subsidies of more than $400 a passenger on the most inefficient
routes demonstrated that cross-country train travel no longer made economic
sense.
"There is not any passenger rail system anywhere in this world that operates
without some operating subsidy," countered Representative John Olver, Democrat
of Massachusetts, who credited Amtrak with squeezing fat from its operations.
Over all, the bill contains almost $1.5 billion for Amtrak, with $925 million
for capital and debt service.
Senate/House Committees Approve Funding for Amtrak - July 10, 2007
The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban
Development, and Related Agencies today approved Fiscal Year 2008 legislation
that allots $1.47 billion for Amtrak. This is $176 million over FY 2007, and
$570 million over the Presidents request. The Senate rejected the President's
budget proposal, which would have guaranteed Amtrak's bankruptcy. In an era
of record gas prices and congested highways, Amtrak plays a vital role in our
national transportation system. Last year, Amtrak posted a record ridership
of 24.3 million passengers. The bill provides Amtrak with the funding necessary
to continue all current services and improve railway infrastructure.
- Includes $100 million for a new grant program that will match state contributions for intercity passenger rail operations. The program is similar but not identical to a $100 million program that was included in the Presidents budget.
- The bill also includes language that prohibits Amtrak from moving any of its jobs overseas.
Meanwhile the House Appropriations Committee this afternoon approved its FY 2008 transportation/housing funding bill, making no amendments affecting Amtrak. The bill thus will go to the floor with $1.4 billion for Amtrak and $50 million to match state intercity passenger rail investments.
A Victory! - Boozman Withdraws Anti-Amtrak Amendment - June 21, 2007
Yesterday, Congressman John Boozman (R-Arkansas-03) withdrew his controversial amendment that would have stripped Amtrak of its right to first access on freight rail tracks throughout the nation. Facing increasing pressure from the pro-passenger rail lobby, Boozman decided instead said that he would request the Government Accountability Office conduct a study on Amtrak's priority access to freight rail within its corridors. The original Boozman measure, opposed by NARP and Friends of Amtrak, had been proposed as an amendment to a climate change bill in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
And speaking of climate change and the environment, Mr. Boozman's record on environmental issues stood at a mere 8 percent as scored by The League of Conservation Voters.
Friends of Amtrak would like to thank all of its supporters who placed urgent phone calls to their legislators in the House of Representatives to block this anti-Amtrak measure.
House Subcommittee Approves Amtrak Funding - June 12, 2007
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation unanimously approved a bill that would provide Amtrak with $1.4 billion for FY 08. President Bush had requested just $800,000 million.
Senate Democrats Propose $1.78 billion for Amtrak - Exceeds Amtrak's Own Proposal - March 17, 2007
Now here's some refreshing news. Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) has announced that the Senate's budget for Amtrak will be $1.78 billion for Amtrak, which is nearly twice what the Bush administration is proposing and even exceeds the Amtrak Board's own request. The $1.78 billion includes $100 million in the form of matching grants for states to use to develop rail service on key corridors in their territory and $50 million to pay for upgrades needed to make Amtrak stations compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. "We're on our way to building a 21st-century rail system," said Lautenberg.
Amtrak Requests $1.53 billion for FY 2008 - February 20, 2007
Amtrak is asking Congress for $1.53 billion in funding for fiscal 2008, a nearly 18 percent increase from the $1.3 billion Amtrak is getting this year and nearly twice the amount proposed by President Bush. Of this $485 million would be for operating costs. That's the same as what the railroad received in both 2006 and 2007. Another $760 million would be for capital investments. That money would go toward an ongoing overhaul of its passenger cars and locomotives and toward improvements to the northeast corridor, which is almost solely owned by Amtrak, and where the high speed Acela trains run between Boston and Washington. The rest of the national system is owned by private freight railroads. The remainder would be for debt service. Amtrak is asking for another $100 million to be set aside as matching grants for states to use for intercity passenger rail projects.
Bush Proposes $800 million for Amtrak - February 6, 2007
President Bush's $2.9 trillion budget for FY 2008 calls for an increase of nearly $3.3 billion for the Transportation Department while cutting Amtrak funding to just $800 million, down by roughly $500 million from current levels. One wonders if anyone at the White House read the recent scientific reports on global warming or if they care to reduce America's dependency upon oil.
House Approves $1.294 billion for Amtrak - February 2, 2007
The U.S. House of Representatives picked up where the last session left off by approving $1.294 billion for Amtrak for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007. The budget for FY 07 went into effect last October but the previous session of Congress failed to pass a budget. The Bush Administration's Office of Management and Budget called the funding "excessive" saying that this "undermines any incentive for the railroad to exercise fiscal discipline."
The $1.294 billion figure is less than what the Amtrak board had requested ($1.598 billion) but an improvement over the $1.1 billion that Amtrak had been getting in previous continuing resolutions. A funding bill now goes to the Senate for their action.
S. 294 - A Bill Reauthorizing Amtrak - January 19, 2006
Senators Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Trent Lott (R-MS) Senators Frank Lautenberg
(D-NJ), Trent Lott (R-MS), Daniel Inouye (D-HI) and Ted Stevens (R-AK) plan
to re-introduce the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act next Tuesday.
The bill, previously known as S. 1516, reauthorizes Amtrak and creates a new
state/federal partnership for passenger rail
development. This legislation that would authorize full funding -- $19.2 billion
-- for the railroad over the next six years and create a matching-fund program
to encourage states to increase their financial stakes in the system.
Under the $1.4 billion matching program, states could tap federal funds to
finance up to 80 percent of the costs for Amtrak capital improvement projects.
The bill would also establish standards for the agreements under which states
pay operating costs for Amtrak lines. The deals are negotiated on a case-by-case
basis.
A similar bill passed the Senate 93-6 in 2005 only to be blocked in the House.
Backers say it has a better chance of success in the new Democratic-controlled
Congress. "It should have been a piece of cake" in the last Congress,"
Lott said.
Amtrak CEO Alexander Kummant appeared at the Union Station event to pledge his cooperation with Lautenberg and Lott but did not endorse the legislation.
The bill calls for Amtrak to develop a plan to overhaul facilities and upgrade security while cutting operating costs 40 percent.
Lautenberg said he would "leave it up to Amtrak's management to find places" to cut. Lott suggested that some of the reductions might be achieved by eliminating sparsely used long-distance lines.
Kummant said such a reduction was "achievable" but declined to discuss the "details." He later said in an interview that not all long-distance lines were under-used, but added: "Do I think some adjustments need to be made? Yes. Do I think the status quo is acceptable? No."
The bill would also require standards to make trains run on time and improve service. As a part of the initiative, Amtrak would have the power to fine freight railroads that cause delays on Amtrak routes.
As of today, current cosponsors are:
Lott, Lautenberg, Daniel Inouye (D-HI), Ted Stevens (R-AK), Tom Carper (D-DE),
Arlen Specter (R-PA), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Byron
Dorgan (D-ND), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Richard Burr (R-NC),
Richard Durbin (D-IL), Joseph Biden (D-DE), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), John Kerry
(D-MA), Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Mark Pryor (D-AR), and
Benjamin Cardin (D-MD).
NARP Legislative Update - January 15, 2007
Senators Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Trent Lott (R-MS), Daniel Inouye (D-HI) and
Ted Stevens (R-AK) plan to re-introduce the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement
Act next Tuesday. As most of you know, the bill reauthorizes Amtrak and creates
a new state/federal partnership for passenger rail development. [These senators
already have signed on...if one of them represents you, please thank him or
her!-Boxer (D-CA), Carper (D-DE), Hutchison (R-TX) and Specter (R-PA).]
This is basically the same as the version of S.1516 that passed the Senate
November 3, 2005, by a vote of 93-6 as an amendment to the Budget Reconciliation
Act, except that the new version updates the authorization years to FY08-12,
makes technical corrections, and adds the Commerce Committee's entire rail security
package (passenger and freight). (The security package has passed the Senate
unanimously three times, most recently as part of the SAFE Port Act. The package
also was recently reintroduced as part of S.184, The STARS Act.)
Please contact your senators and urge them to join as co-sponsor, preferably
before next Tuesday. The Senate website is http://www.senate.gov
for individual Senators' phone numbers, web sites
and other contact information. Alternatively, the Capitol Hill switchboard 202-224-3121
connects to any office. For this effort, telephone is best.
In a related matter, yesterday House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced three
appointments of freshmen Democrats to the Transportation and Infrastructure
Committee: Reps. Jason Altmire (PA), Steve Cohen (TN) and Tim Walz (MN).
--Ross B. Capon,
NARP Executive Director
Amtrak Funding - Yet Another Continuing Resolution - January 15, 2007
The 109th Congress adjourned in early December having failed to pass a working budget for the federal government including nine out of 11 appropriation bills for FY 2007, which began in October 2006. Quite literally, in its final minutes, Congress passed a so-called continuing resolution that keeps 13 of the 15 departments of the federal government and 63 of its independent agencies from shutting down completely. This includes Amtrak. The measure is effective through February 15, 2007.
Return to the top of the page.
AMTRAK NEWS UPDATE
February 17, 2009
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Amtrak Lowers Some Acela Fares - February 17, 2009
Amtrak lowered some fares on its high-speed Acela Express trains between Boston and Washington by as much as 25 percent to attract leisure travelers as ridership falls because of fewer business trips.
Amtrak will offer one-way nonrefundable Acela business-class tickets for as low as $99 between New York and Washington, down from $133 or more, and as low as $79 between Boston and New York, from $93 or higher. The prices are available for travel from March 3 through June 26 and tickets must be purchased 14 days in advance.
More On The Stimulus Bill - February 17, 2009
From Railway Age Magazine
As Congress tinkered last week with final details of the proposed Stimulus Package,
some transportation analysts lamented that funding for all rail modes totaled
only 2% of the $787 billion plan.
Within that segment, however, passenger rail, including FRA "high speed" options and Amtrak, were well rewarded. By contrast, rail transit funding, while significant, was cut as the bill neared final approval and headed for the President`s desk.
About $8 billion was targeted for "Capital Assistance for HSR Corridors and Intercity Passenger Rail Service," up from the Senate’s $2.25 billion and an even bigger increase from the House’s original recommendation of just $300 million. The two categories (HSR and conventional intercity passenger rail, are "appropriated ... under a combined heading," and the Secretary of Transportation is given "flexibility in allocating resources between the programs to advance the goal of deploying intercity high speed rail systems in the U.S. The Capital Assistance to States program first received funding in fiscal year 2008. The High Speed Passenger Rail program is a new initiative recently authorized under the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008."
Separately, Amtrak is awarded capital grants of $1.3 billion, also up roughly $500 million from earlier House and Senate numbers. Of that amount, $450 million is earmarked for "security improvements to include life safety improvements." Conference Committee members also cap any expenditure on Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor to "no more than 60%" of the remaining funds. About $850 million in funds for non-security measures is for "the repair, rehabilitation, or upgrade of railroad assets or infrastructure, and for capital projects that expand passenger rail capacity including the rehabilitation of rolling stock."
Transit capital assistance, overseen by the Federal Transit Administration, gets $6.9 billion in the measure, down from $7.5 billion the House envisioned and $8.4 billion recommended by the Sena te. FTA is to distribute 80% of the funding through its urbanized formula, 10% to rural areas, and 10% to "growing states and high density formula" funding. Capital investment grants of $750 million are to be distributed on a discretionary basis for New Starts and Small Starts projects, including light rail and streetcar programs as well as "Bus Rapid Transit," that are already in construction or are nearly ready to begin.
Amtrak Board Names Tom Carper of Illinois as Chairman - January 30, 2009
WASHINGTON - At its regularly scheduled meeting yesterday, Amtrak's Board of
Directors unanimously agreed to name Thomas Carper of Illinois as Chairman of
the Board. Carper, who has served in various Illinois state and local government
positions, including Mayor of the City of Macomb, has been a director on the
Amtrak board since March 2008. At the same meeting former Chairman Donna McLean
was named Vice Chairman, replacing Hunter Biden, who remains as a board member.
Carper said, "Everything we have done as a board, we've done as a unified body, and this change in our hierarchy is no exception. That this was a unanimous and non-contentious decision is testimony to that fact. I look forward to tackling the exciting challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Amtrak is ready to play a growing role in strengthening our transportation system and our economy."
The five-member board consists of four voting members, two Democrats, Carper
and Biden, and two Republicans, McLean and Nancy Naples. Amtrak President and
CEO Joseph Boardman is a non-voting member of the board.
Former Chairman McLean, who was named Vice Chairman, said, "With the change
in administration, its best for the company to have Tom as Chairman. I am pleased
to be able to work with Tom and the rest of the board as we face the exciting
and challenging years ahead."
As part of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008, the Board
of Directors of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) is expected
in 2009 to expand to nine members from its current allotment of seven positions,
five of which are currently occupied. The President nominates and the U.S. Senate
confirms Amtrak Board members.
President Obama Selects Ray LaHood As Transportation Secretary-- December 18, 2008
President-Elect Barack Obama has selected Republican Illinois Congressman Ray LaHood as his Transportation Secretary. LaHood is known as a "moderate" Republican who has "broken with his party on Amtrak funding," which means that he has genearally voted in favor of Amtrak funding when others in his party have voted against it. In 2005, he told the <i>Peoria Journal-Star</i> that "we've got a good Amtrak system in Illinois and I don't think we want to destroy it by talking about privatization... The subsidies need to continue. These subsidies are the lifeblood of Amtrak continuing the kind of service they have to the college towns and the small communities in illinois and around the country. I don't see us really tinkering with that." It's also worth mentioning that LaHood is one of the congressmen who's been getting on UP and BNSF's case about railroad-caused delays to Amtrak trains. Quite admirably LaHood has voted YES on increasing Amtrak funding. <i>(Reference: Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act; Bill HR6003; June 11, 2008)</I>
But the record on LaHood, albeit thin, is mixed. For example, a quick search of Google brings up these tidbits of information:
LaHood said he considers Amtrak "the lifeblood transportation for
small communities," and he knows many college students from Chicago’s
suburbs use trains to travel to school, Copley News Service reported via The
Lincoln Courier.
"On the Northeast Corridor, Amtrak is fabulous," LaHood added, "and
after 9-11, it became the transportation of choice for a lot of people because
they felt it was safer than flying.
"I think if we’re going to have a pot of money where we subsidize
airlines and we subsidize the funding of highways, that we certainly ought to
continue to subsidize Amtrak," LaHood said.
He said, "I don’t think we can afford at this point, with the kind
of deficits we’re running," to be talking about high-speed rail.
While funding is his main concern, he said, "People in rural Illinois are
not for high-speed rail... They do not want a train traveling 120, 125, 150
miles per hour through the rural areas, and I support them on that."
So how do we read that? Rebuilding America's infrastructure is said to be Obama's number one priority for getting the American economy moving again. Will LaHood be a champion for rebuilding our rail infrastructure, both passenger and freight? Will he vigorously push for building high speed rail corridors and even even dedicated passenger rail lines throughout the country or even in densely populated corridors. Are these dubious statements about protecting small communities from high speed rail merely the cautious words of a politician from Peoria?
For years passenger rail proponents have been fighting the good fight just to keep Amtrak merely sustainable in the face of Bush era policies to bury the railroad altogether. While we succeeded at that quite remarkably we must not be content with band-aid efforts to just keep Amtrak limping along. We want visionary policies from our leaders and courageous bold steps to rebuild our national rail infrastructure, improve air quality, move people more efficiently, reduce congestion and totally reform our transportation priorities. The question we're facing will be, "Is Ray LaHood the guy to do this?"
Obama To Arrive For Inaugural on Amtrak -- December 15, 2008.
WASHINGTON - President-elect Barack Obama will kick off his inaugural celebration on Jan. 17 ó the weekend before his swearing in as the country's 44th president ó by traveling on a train to the nation's capital. He and his family will start their daylong journey with an event in Philadelphia before boarding the train and picking up Vice President-elect Joe Biden and his family in Wilmington, Del. The president-elect and his group then will make a stop in Baltimore before making their way to Washington. Obama will take office Jan. 20.
Amtrak Awaits High Speed Rail Line On D.C.-N.Y. Trip - December 15, 2008
The Washington Times is reporting that federal transportation leaders have announced that the government is seeking contractors to build a $30 billion to $40 billion high-speed rail line between Washington and New York that would be used exclusively by passenger trains. The proposed high-speed rail line will be able to reach the Big Apple in two hours compared with Acela's three hours. The line is the first of a series of nationwide high-speed passenger rail lines that the government is considering funding. Other rail lines would run the length of California and Florida, spread throughout the Midwest with a hub in Chicago, connect Portland, Ore., with Seattle, and run between major cities in Texas.
Amtrak Selects Joseph Boardman As President And CEO - November 25, 2008
WASHINGTON – The National Railroad Passenger Corporation Board of Directors announced today that it has chosen Joseph Boardman, a nationally recognized transportation industry professional, to become president and chief executive officer of the company, effective November 26.
Boardman offers nearly 34 years of experience in the surface transportation industry at city, county, state, and federal government levels; most recently as the administrator at the Federal Railroad Administration.
“In an attempt to maintain the momentum at Amtrak, while finding a permanent CEO candidate, the board has appointed Mr. Boardman for one year, but will conduct a search in the coming months for a permanent CEO,” said Board Chairman Donna McLean. She added that “Amtrak is at a critical juncture and needs a vigorous management vision and ability to take advantage of this unique time. The board has unanimously chosen Mr. Boardman in this capacity because we have complete confidence that his depth of experience and leadership skills will allow Amtrak to maintain growth and implement the requirements of the recently enacted authorization legislation.”
“Joe Boardman knows the industry extremely well, but what makes him exceptionally qualified for the position is that he has the unique perspective of having known Amtrak as a customer and state partner, administrator, and has been involved with Amtrak, in one role or another, over the course of many years,” said board Vice Chair Hunter Biden. “Joe is the right person to help Amtrak during this important period,” he added.
Having served as administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration since April 2005, Boardman was the Department of Transportation designee on the Amtrak board of directors. Prior to his tenure at FRA, he served as commissioner of the New York State Department of Transportation beginning in July of 1997. There, Boardman led a transformation effort that better enabled the agency to respond to the challenges associated with an expanding global marketplace. In this capacity, Boardman was deeply involved in the operation of the large complement of Amtrak service in the state. In addition, he was chief operating officer of Progressive Transportation Service, Inc., a transportation management company. He was chairman of the Executive Committee of the Transportation Research Board in 2005 and chair of the American Association of the State Highway and Transportation Officials’ Standing Committee on Rail Transportation from 2000-2005.
“I am humbled that the board selected me to lead the company, on an interim basis, at this very exciting time. Over the past decade — in one capacity or another — I have been an active participant in the affairs of Amtrak. I have come to know the company, the culture, a number of employees, and I am keenly aware of the challenges facing us right now,” said Boardman. “In my view, a national intercity, interconnected passenger rail service is critically important for the mobility and energy independence of the United States.”
Joe Boardman fills the position following the departure of Alex Kummant earlier this month. Chief Operating Officer William Crosbie served as acting CEO in the interim. “The board is grateful to Bill Crosbie for his dedication to Amtrak and for managing the company during the transition,” McLean added.
Boardman is a lifelong resident of New York, and is the second of eight children born and raised on a dairy farm in Oneida County, which two of his siblings currently operate. In 1966, he volunteered for service in the United States Air Force, serving in Vietnam from 1968 to 1969. Upon receiving an honorable discharge from the Air Force, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Economics from Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., and a Master of Science in Management Science from the State University of New York at Binghamton. He presently resides with his wife Joanne in Washington, D.C., and has three grown children.
KUMMANT RESIGNS AS AMTRAK CEO - November 14, 2008.
WASHINGTON -- Amtrak CEO Alex Kummant, age 47, with a history of job changes
that rival the number of Amtrak station stops, resigned Nov. 14 after barely
two years on the job.
There were indications Kummant ran afoul of the Amtrak board of directors, which
names the Amtrak CEO without need of Senate confirmation, even though Amtrak
is owned by the federal government and receives a nearly $1 billion annual taxpayer
subsidy. No further details were provided regarding Kummant’s sudden departure,
which had been rumored for the past three weeks.
A source close to the Amtrak board, who asked not to be identified, speculated that Kummant "was not hands on. He didn't have a handle on finances or operations. His personality was often confrontational."
Kummant will be succeeded, on an interim basis, by Amtrak Chief Operating Officer William Crosbie, who is expected to run the national intercity rail passenger company until the Obama administration rejiggers the Amtrak board of directors. It will be the Amtrak board that will choose a permanent successor to Kummant.
Kummant was named Amtrak president in September 2006, after the Amtrak board dispatched David Gunn 10 months earlier. The railroad experience of Gunn’s two predecessors, Tom Downs and George Warrington, was limited to Northeast Corridor commuter operations, but Gunn had extensive freight and passenger operating experience, dating to early management days on the Santa Fe.
Kummant had no railroad operating experience, but did have a short stint as a Union Pacific marketing officer.
Amtrak’s presidents:
Roger Lewis, 1971-1974
Paul Reistrup, 1974-1978
Alan Boyd, 1978-1982
W. Graham Claytor, 1982-1993
Thomas Downs, 1993-1998
George Warrington, 1998-2002
David Gunn, 2002-2005
David Hughes, 2005-2006 (interim)
Alexander Kummant, 2006-2008
AMTRAK SAYS LABOR TALKS WILL RESUME NEXT WEEK - January 14, 2008.
WASHINGTON -- Amtrak said Friday (Jan. 11) it planned to resume negotiations
with nine unions this week to avoid a crippling strike, the Associated Press
reported.
The national passenger railroad could face a walkout as early as Jan. 30 unless
it reaches an agreement with the unions or Congress intervenes. There has never
been a strike at Amtrak, and both Amtrak and union officials say they don't
believe it will come to that.
If it did occur, a strike would hamper the operations of many commuter lines that rely on Amtrak infrastructure. Amtrak spokesman Cliff Black said talks would resume next week.
"There is some sense of optimism that we'll come to an agreement and avoid a strike," Black said. "Neither side appears to be interested in a shutdown of any portion of the railroad."
The talks affect about 10,000 Amtrak employees, who have been working under outdated contracts since 2000. Under the Railway Labor Act, the workers could not strike until federal officials determined that mediation had been unsuccessful.An emergency board appointed by President Bush help resolve the dispute sided with the unions on several issues, recommending in a Dec. 30 report that Amtrak provide full back pay to compensate the workers for eight years without a raise and scrap plans for sweeping changes in work rules.
Now the parties are in a 30-day cooling-off period. When it ends Jan. 30, the unions will have the legal right to strike if Congress doesn't step in. In most disputes under the Railway Labor Act that reach this stage, the emergency board report serves as the basis for an agreement.
The unions were pleased with the report, and told Amtrak following its release that they were eager to return to the table.
Amtrak, which depends heavily on federal subsidies, is concerned about how it would afford the back wages, which would average nearly $13,000 per employee. The railroad had offered to give each worker a lump signing bonus of $4,500 instead of back pay.
Black said the back pay would cost Amtrak about $150 million more than what the company had offered.
(The preceding article by Sarah Karush was published January 11, 1008, by the Associated Press.)
PRESIDENT BUSH PICKS TOM CARPER, and OTHERS, FOR AMTRAK BOARD - November 16, 2007
Former Macomb, Illinois Mayor Tom Carper has been nominated by President Bush to serve on the Amtrak board of directors. Carper was initially recommended to the president and to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid earlier this year by U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill.
We consider Tom Carper and excellent choice and definitely a Friend of Amtrak!
The White House on Nov. 15 also announced two other intended nominations by the president to the Amtrak board -- Republican Nancy A. Naples of New York, and Republican Denver Stutler Jr. of Florida. Carper is a Democrat.
Naples, a long-time local politician in Erie County, New York, who lost a 2004 election bid to Congress, most recently served former New York Republican Gov. George Pataki as commissioner of the New York Department of Motor Vehicles.
Stutler, a professional engineer, served former Florida Republican Gov. Jeb Bush as his chief of staff and later secretary of transportation.
If confirmed by the Senate, Carper would succeed Sylvia de Leon, whose term expired; Naples would succeed Enrique Sosa, who resigned; and Stutley would succeed David Laney, whose term expired.
"Tom Carper has years of experience in bringing together business leaders,
community leaders and elected officials," Durbin said Thursday in a statement
announcing the nomination.
"Given Tom's accomplishments as mayor and regional director for West Central
Illinois' economic development plan, I am confident he will able work with local,
state and federal leaders to keep Amtrak on the right track."
Durbin said Carper battled to preserve passenger rail service in the region and in the state while he was mayor from 1991 to 2003. In 1991 he was appointed by the Amtrak Board of Directors to the Amtrak Mayors' Advisory Council, serving as its chairman from 2000 to 2001.
Carper's nomination must now be considered by the Senate Commerce Committee and the full Senate. Amtrak's board of directors sets corporate policy and oversees the company's management. It is made up of seven voting members appointed to five-year terms by the president with the advice and consent of the Senate.
Amtrak Partners With Grand Luxe To Offer Luxury Rail Service- June 18, 2007
GrandLuxe attaches private train to Amtrak trains on three routes
Washington, D.C. and Evergreen, Colo. — Beginning this fall, passengers traveling on select Amtrak routes will have the option of lingering over five-course dinners, sleeping in luxurious suites and enjoying personal butler service. The premium service is being made possible by a new partnership between GrandLuxe Rail Journeys, the country's premier, private rail tour operator, and Amtrak, the national passenger rail service.
This is the first time in history that luxury accommodations have been offered on multiple Amtrak routes throughout the country.
Called GrandLuxe Limited, the new service uses a separate, private, seven-car luxury train attached to several regularly scheduled Amtrak trains. The GrandLuxe train, which features Dining, Lounge and Sleeping cars appointed with elegant vintage furnishings, will be occupied exclusively by GrandLuxe Limited passengers.
With over 90 departures starting in November and continuing through the holiday season into January 2008, GrandLuxe Limited will be available on three major Amtrak routes:
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Between Chicago and the San Francisco Bay Area, three days and two nights on the Amtrak California Zephyr;
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Between Los Angeles and Chicago, three days and two nights on the Amtrak Southwest Chief; and
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Between Washington, D.C. and Miami, two days and one night on the Amtrak Silver Meteor.
Eight additional two-day, one-night departures will be offered on four special itineraries: Between Washington, D.C. and Chicago on the Amtrak Capitol Limited; Denver to the San Francisco Bay Area on the Amtrak California Zephyr; Denver to Chicago on the Amtrak California Zephyr; and Chicago to Albuquerque on the Amtrak Southwest Chief.
The unprecedented collaboration between Amtrak and GrandLuxe is an effort to increase ridership and introduce a new market to luxury train travel. GrandLuxe Limited offers two- and three-day itineraries at more affordable prices than traditional GrandLuxe tours, which cover broader itineraries of seven to 10 days.
"This partnership allows us to write a little history by bringing luxury train travel back to routes that have not experienced it in decades," said GrandLuxe CEO Tom Rader. "It's a winning situation for everyone. GrandLuxe will be able to introduce its product to a wider market, while Amtrak gains new marketing visibility. Most important, travelers now have many more options for the mode and manner in which they travel."
"This is precisely the kind of joint venture with the private sector that is a good fit for us," said Amtrak President and CEO Alex Kummant. "Amtrak provides facilities and operating expertise while GrandLuxe offers highly specialized train equipment and service, broadening the marketing appeal of both companies."
The partnership between Amtrak and GrandLuxe is in keeping with Amtrak's strategic initiative to explore ways to expand its business reach and find creative ways to increase revenues through innovative partnerships with the private sector. The arrangement provides revenue for both companies in the partnership.
Prices for GrandLuxe Limited range from $789 to $2,499 per person. For information, schedules and reservations aboard the GrandLuxe Limited, visit www.GrandLuxeRail.com or call 1 (800) 320-2406.
About GrandLuxe Rail Journeys
GrandLuxe Rail Journeys (formerly American Orient Express) specializes in long-distance trips in which travelers sleep in private cabins aboard the country's premier, private passenger train. With 13 different two- to 10-day itineraries offered year-round throughout the United States, including national parks and other popular destinations, a journey aboard the GrandLuxe Express is much more than a train trip. Passengers experience the Golden Age of Rail on the elegant 21-car train appointed with vintage furnishings. Guests dine on delicious, upscale cuisine in the Dining Car, relax in the inviting Lounge Car, sleep in comfortable cabins, and enjoy personal service from their porters, butlers, wait staff and tour guides. Passengers also view some of the country's most stunning sights as the train winds through some of the nation's rarely seen countryside.
For more information, full descriptions and costs of itineraries, and brochures, visit www.GrandLuxeRail.com or call 1 (800) 320-4206.
Guest Rewards Program Update - April 13, 2007
As I reported two months ago Bank of America will terminate its relationship with Amtrak as the Guest Rewards card holder in May. At that time Amtrak stated, "We will be offering a new Amtrak Guest Rewards credit card in April." However, recent correspondence with Amtrak indicates that the new card will be issued later this year. No specific date has been provided at this time.Here is the text of Amtrak's statement to me:
We are pleased to announce that Amtrak Guest Rewards has selected Chase as the new issuing Bank. The new card will be available later this year. As a current card holder, you will receive updates as more information becomes available. We appreciate your patience, and look forward to bringing you the new and improved, Amtrak Guest Rewards credit card from Chase.
Please call us at 800.307.5000 Monday - Friday from 8 am - 8 pm EST if you have further questions or concerns regarding your Amtrak Guest Rewards account.
Regards,
Amtrak Guest Rewards
Amtrak Trains are Later and Later - But Ridership Is Up! - March 17, 2007
It seems like the story of late arriving Amtrak trains has taken the news media
by storm. Lately I've seen more and more articles in print on Amtrak trains
arriving later and later. Here's one from WJZ in Baltimore: http://wjz.com/watercooler/local_story_059114641.html
This report notes that Amtrak passengers are being affected by more and more
delays."Amtrak's on-time performance last year was its worst since the
1970s with only 68 percent of Amtrak trains arrived when they were supposed
to. The main problem is that Amtrak must share tracks with freight trains. Freight
volume is up, and so is wear and tear on the tracks, so Amtrak trains are going
slower than they otherwise would," states reporter Peggy Lee.
WJZ reports that the Coast Starlight was on time for only 4 percent of its
trips. The "Chicago Defender" also reports that the California Zephyr
had an on-time performance record of just seven percent. This is inexcusable.
And according to the "Defender," Amtrak's new CEO Alexander Kummant,
a former top exec at Union Pacific RR, doesn't hold the private sector railroads
responsible for most of Amtrak's delays! HELLO?
Let's take a closer look at the record. Last year 85 percent of Amtrak's high
speed Acela trains between Boston and Washington ran ON TIME! Now why is that?
It is a simple fact that Amtrak, and not the private sector railroads, owns
most of those tracks along the northeast corridor where these trains run.
The nation's private freight railroads treat Amtrak passengers as second-class
citizens, keeping us sitting in our passenger cars for hours on end while slower
moving freights are dispatched with priority. The private sector rail industry
has failed to live up to its mandate to give priority on their tracks to trains
run by Amtrak, a deal struck when Amtrak was first created back in 1970. Congress
needs to act on that and hold them responsible for their shameful disdain for
America's rail passengers.
But the shameful behavior of the private sector freight rail industry doesn't
account for the whole picture and to that extent Mr. Kummant might be at least
partially forgiven. The fact is that our national rail system is a disgrace.
We have a crumbling and inferior infrastructure. You name it -- bridges, tunnels,
catenary, rail crossings and single tracked mainlines are all partially responsible
for the increasing Amtrak delays. This nation has allowed the private sector
to literally rip up our infrastructure and sell it off for profit or just let
it crumble out of neglect.
So isn't it time for American to rebuild our own infrastructure?
Friends of Amtrak calls upon private industry, Congress and the White House
to confront these issues squarely. We want straight talk and real solutions.
We're tired of the blame game. If we can spend billions upon billions of our
taxpayers dollars abroad then we can certainly address the needs of our own
people at home.
Let's rebuild America. For passenger rail advocates this means investing in
our nation's rail infrastructure. For those companies truly interested in making
the necessary improvements there should be incentives. Similarly for those private
companies who refuse to honestly address their responsibilities to America then
they should be held accountable.
Through fiscal-year 2007’s first four months, Amtrak carried 8.2 million passengers system-wide, up 4 percent compared with the same period last year. Between October 2006 and January 2007, Acela Express ridership totaled more than 1 million, an increase of nearly 20 percent compared with the same FY2006 period. Ridership in California was also up. On the Capitol Corridor service ridership rose by more than 11 percent.. California's three corridor Amtrak services -- The Pacific Surfliner Service, the Capitol Corridor Service and the San Joaquin Service -- all rank in the top 10 in Amtrak ridership nationwide.
Amtrak Guest Rewards Credit Card Program Changes - February 14, 2007
Amtrak Guest Rewards members recently received a notice from Bank of America
stating that their relationship with Amtrak as the holder of the Guest Rewards
credit card will be discontinued in May.
Amtrak has confirmed that it and Bank of America have agreed to discontinue
the existing credit card program.
However, Amtrak states that "the Amtrak Guest Rewards program is not going to be discontinued." Members "will continue to earn points for eligible transactions with your Amtrak Guest Rewards Bank of America credit card through the closing date of their May 2007 statement."
As for the credit card program itself, Amtrak states, "We will be offering a new Amtrak Guest Rewards credit card in April. Please check back after April 1, 2007 for more information. If you have any other questions regarding the use or benefits of your card, please call Bank of America at 1-800-421-2110."
Downgrading the Long Distance Train Experience ?- January 15, 2007
NARP, the National Association of Railroad Passengers, has informed its members
of Amtrak?s latest effort ?to improve the economic performance of overnight
trains? by giving "passengers more choices about when they can enjoy sit-down
meals" on long distance trains. NARP noted that a prototype car, which
combines features of both lounge and dining car in one, will be added to the
Capitol Ltd. for a limited time in December and January for testing.
We at Friends of Amtrak question the wisdom of this approach. The new diner
lounges are intended to replace both the lounge cars and the current diners.
Instead of two cars there will be one. Will the
prototype testing feature just the one car? Further, by converting the diners
and not the sightseer lounges, and then removing the sightseers, riders will
not have a car for panoramic viewing.
This begs the question: Is Amtrak dramatically downsizing most of the transcontinental
and long-distance trains, reducing ultimately the number of sleepers, and probably
coaches, thereby justifying the
smaller food and lounge facilities? (See this related piece from ABC News on
Amtrak's downgrading of the dining car services:)
http://www.abcnews.go.com/WNT/Travel/story?id=2777294&page=1
If Amtrak wanted to improve the overall accessibility of food it could carry
along frozen meals that could be sold from the lounge counter. This is done
commonly in Europe, where really good food is served to first-class passengers
at their seats or in restaurant cars (expensive, but coach passengers can eat
there if they want to pay).
Amtrak's new CEO, Alexander Kummant, has made some very positive statements about wanting to maintain the quality and overall services of the long-distance network. There are some signs that Amtrak is having second thoughts about aspects of the downsizing, particularly on the Coast Starlight. We hope that Amtrak's new management team and Congress rethink the micromanaging that could destroy much of the long-distance experience and creatively think of ways to actually improve and expand it.
National Rail Passenger Summit
Plans are coming together for a National Rail Passenger Summit on Friday, March
23, 2007, in Chicago. This will be the day before the Midwest High Speed Rail
Association Spring Meeting on Saturday, March 24, 2007. Read more at the summit
at the web address: http://www.nationalrailpassengersummit.org
Kummant Replaces Top Brass
Amtrak's chief executive, Alexander Kummant, replaced six top managers as part
of what he said was a move to increase efficiency at Amtrak. The changes are
the first realignment since Kummant became chief executive on Sept. 12. They
follow an Oct. 25 report by inspectors general at Amtrak and the Transportation
Department saying poor management of legal contracts may have cost the railroad
tens of millions of dollars.
You can view Mr. Kummant?s letter to employees regarding the staff shake up
on the Friends of Amtrak Yahoo Groups website under "FILES"
New York Times - Some Interesting Reading
A New York Times article of December 22, 2006 by Matthew L. Wald and Don Phillips
providing some very interesting reading. Here are some highlights from this
piece:
" Amtrak could see a ridership growth spurt of 50 percent in the next
five to 10 years, but it would require billions of state and federal dollars
invested in the tracks of other railroads, and millions more of private investment
in passenger rail cars, the new president of the railroad said Thursday in an
interview.
" ...Mr. Kummant indicated that Amtrak was backing away from some ideas
that had upset Amtrak supporters, including putting the Washington-to-Boston
corridor under separate ownership. He also said he did not intend to slash the
long-distance network because it was a national asset that, once lost, would
probably never be recovered.
" ...Mr. Kummant, a former freight rail executive, said that the rail
network nationally was overloaded, but that strong growth in freight traffic,
and the interest in rail as a solution to congestion and
energy problems, opened the possibility for government investment in private
freight railroad lines that Amtrak used."
Regarding our own concerns about frequent threats to cutback on our nation's
long distance trains, Kummant said: "We're not going to do anything radical
there."
" ...The cost of cross-country trains comes to about a dollar and a half per American per year, he said, and they are irreplaceable. He compared trains like the Empire Builder and the City of New Orleans to assets like national parks. ?I haven?t had the opportunity to go to Glacier National Park since 1976, but I pay taxes every year in the hope that I have the option to go back," Mr. Kummant said.
AMTRAK SLEEPING CAR PLANS AVAILABLE ON FRIENDS OF AMTRAK WEBSITE, August 24, 2000. Friends of Amtrak now has a page that shows in JPG format the layout of Amtrak's sleeping cars. Amtravelers take note! I don't believe that I've seen such a plan anywhere on the net. http://trainweb.org/crocon/sleeperplans.html
NO TRAIN NO GAIN BUMPER STICKER OFFERED FREE -- December 17, 2000. The Railroad Passenger Association of Alabama is offering a free "No Train No Gain" bumper sticker. For information check out the page link by Friends of Amtrak:
FREE with LSSAE, $1.00 for each additional. Black on white, peel and stick variety, sized to fit inside a legal sized envelope. This is a volunteer effort in support of passenger rail. No profits are made. Quantities of 100 available for $34.00 postage paid to organizations and individuals.
For your bumper sticker send to:
- Railroad Passenger Association of Alabama
- Jim Norton
- 153 Rebecca Pines
- Madison, Alabama 35758
THE SIX MYTHS ABOUT AMTRAK
Myth #1 - Amtrak can be profitable. No national rail passenger system in the world is profitable. Without public subsidy, there will be no passenger rail transportation systems in the United States.
Myth #2 - The private sector is dying to take over our services. Remember why we were formed. We are what is left of a once privately run enterprise.
Myth #3 - Long-distance trains are the problem. This is perhaps one of the biggest myths. If you eliminate every long-distance train, your avoidable costs would decrease about $70 million a year-after about a year and a half of making labor protection costs. On a fully allocated basis, after five years, you might save annually about $300 million. Focusing on this problem is not going to save Amtrak. This approach is a red herring.
Myth #4 - Amtrak is a featherbed for labor. Our wage rates are about 90% of the freight industry and are even lower when compared to transit. Wages are not the problem; generating a higher level of productivity, that is the challenge. It is management's duty to seek such improvement.
Myth #5 - The Northeast Corridor (NEC) is profitable. The NEC may cover most of its above-the-rail costs, but it is an extremely costly piece of railroad to maintain. The NEC is not profitable and never will be. Sure, private groups might be interested in having it, but they would take it only with the promise of massive capital infusions.
Myth #6 - There is a quick fix - reform. The word reform is like catnip to those interested in a quick fix to Amtrak. If the answer were quick and easy, we would have solved the problem long ago. What needs to be done is to tightly manage the company and its finances and begin to make incremental but critical improvements to plant and equipment.
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