| Top News Railways |
Date posted: July 29, 2003 |
Amtrak Decries Funding Recommendation
Following the House Appropriations Committee recommendation that Amtrak be funded less than half of what had been requested, Amtrak president David L. Gunn issued a statement complaining “This constant state of crisis is not good for anyone.”
by LISA MATTE THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE LAST WEEK RECOMMENDED FUNDING OF $900 MILLION FOR AMTRAK IN FISCAL YEAR 2004. The recommendation fell far short of the $1.812 billion Amtrak says it needs to keep the system running. In a letter to Congress sent prior to the announcement of the funding recommendation, Amtrak president David L. Gunn wrote “another year without an adequate capital budget means playing Russian roulette with our revenue and service assumptions, with the operability of our Northeast Corridor infrastructure and system trains, and, most importantly, with the safety of our passengers. This constant state of crisis is not good for anyone.”
Following the recommendation, Gunn said, “For too long this company deferred maintenance on its plant and equipment ... This railroad simply cannot continue to operate without an adequate maintenance budget.”
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