Nov 28, 2006 5:44 pm US/Eastern
Study: Feds Should Control Amtrak's NE Corridor
Power Outage Snarls Morning Commute
NEWARK (CBS/AP) ―
-
-
The service outage in May stranded thousands of commuters.
CBS
In an effort to improve Amtrak service between major cities along the East Coast, a group of business leaders Tuesday proposed transferring ownership of the Northeast Corridor rail line to the federal government.
A study released Tuesday by the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers University also calls for the creation of a partnership between the state and federal government, which would have policy control over the line.
Martin Robins, the center's director, said the public corporation could be created by Congress and have the power to introduce new services. It would contract with Amtrak to manage the line and would provide accountability to the much-criticized rail service.
The study, sponsored by the Newark Regional Business Partnership, also suggests that the states and federal government join together to fund future capital improvements on the line, which goes through Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and the District of Columbia.
Amtrak operates a nationwide passenger rail network, with 21,000 miles of routes in 46 states. Amtrak's Northeast Corridor is the busiest railroad in North America, with more than 1,700 trains operating over some portion of the Washington-Boston route each day.
Amtrak has never made money in its 34-year history and an operating loss of more than $550 million was expected for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. The railroad has relied on government subsidies to cover its operating losses and has a debt of more than $3.5 billion.
Cliff Black, a spokesman for Amtrak, said a change in ownership won't change the underlying funding needs or the process to obtain that funding.
"In the long-term, Amtrak recognizes that we need to work together with the states and federal government to build capacity and ensure a state of good repair," he said.
Black said Amtrak has been working with the states individually and collectively to make sure that funding needs are met.
Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-N.J., said new options should be explored to enhance viability for the train line.
"With our aviation system facing congestion and delays, and our roadways becoming more and more clogged every day, it is more important than ever that the federal government closely engage itself in expanding safe, secure, efficient passenger rail lines," he said.
Amtrak has had several power problems this year. One brought the bulk of the Northeast Corridor to a halt in May for several hours.
On May 25, trains came to a screeching halt, leaving thousands of Amtrak and NJ Transit commuters stranded on tracks and stuck in tunnels. Below find CBS 2's coverage.
May Train Trouble Coverage
June 9: Amtrak Can't Pinpoint Cause Of Rail Outage May 28: Schumer Calling For Special Amtrak Investigation
Power Restored To Amtrak, NJ Transit Trains MetroNorth Carries Amtrak Riders Morry Alter Talks To NYC Commuters Penn Station Passengers Frustrated By Power Outage Power Outage: Amtrak and NJ Transit PATH, NJ Transit Buses Honor Amtrak Tickets Amtrak Official Discusses The Outage
(© 2006 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Comments