Amtrak posted its FY2018 Appropriations Request (55 page PDF) a few days ago. A number of interesting items and capital projects cost estimates in it. Surprised no one noticed it for discussion in a new thread. It should be noted that this is Amtrak's request which it submits to Congress separately from the current Administrations budget proposal which of course, proposes to eliminate the LD trains entirely.
First, Amtrak's baseline request is for a modest increase over the final FY 2017 appropriations, $1.6 billion in total. $358 million for the NEC and $1.242 billion for the National Network. The request has a high level breakdown of where the $1.6 billion would be allocated.
The request expands to discuss a number of NEC and system State of Good Repair capital projects that could be funded with FAST Act and other grants if USDOT were inclined to pick some.
The request also lists $30 billion in projects that could be funded with the proposed National Infrastructure bill. I think this is mainly to Congress, well, the eastern Democrats, as projects they could stick in the Infrastructure Bill if it gets any traction in the House & Senate and if the Democrats have leverage to include projects. The totals on page 46 are interesting. $1.55 Billion for single level coaches, $1.5 billion for the North Portal Bridge (which was a circa $800 million project only a few years ago), $750 million for East River tunnel rehabilitation, $1.3 billion for Sawtooth Bridge Replacement, $5 billion for the B&P Tunnel Replacement and so on.
First, Amtrak's baseline request is for a modest increase over the final FY 2017 appropriations, $1.6 billion in total. $358 million for the NEC and $1.242 billion for the National Network. The request has a high level breakdown of where the $1.6 billion would be allocated.
The request expands to discuss a number of NEC and system State of Good Repair capital projects that could be funded with FAST Act and other grants if USDOT were inclined to pick some.
The request also lists $30 billion in projects that could be funded with the proposed National Infrastructure bill. I think this is mainly to Congress, well, the eastern Democrats, as projects they could stick in the Infrastructure Bill if it gets any traction in the House & Senate and if the Democrats have leverage to include projects. The totals on page 46 are interesting. $1.55 Billion for single level coaches, $1.5 billion for the North Portal Bridge (which was a circa $800 million project only a few years ago), $750 million for East River tunnel rehabilitation, $1.3 billion for Sawtooth Bridge Replacement, $5 billion for the B&P Tunnel Replacement and so on.
