Senate subcommittee approves $1.34 billion

[Amfleet]

The Senate Transportation/Treasury Appropriations Subcommittee today approved a fiscal 2004 funding bill. It provides Amtrak with $1.346 billion, while also deferring payment in 2004 of the $100 million loan from DOT (from 2002). Counting that deferral, that is a $366 million shortfall from Amtrak's request for 2004 ($1.812 billion, of which $100 million was meant to repay the loan).
Our deep appreciation goes to Subcommittee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D.-Wash.), who worked very hard to get the Amtrak number up as high as it is. The full committee may act tomorrow, September 4.

See NARP for more information.

 

[jccollins]

Yes, they can survive at that level of funding, but only limp along and continue to defer maintenance. Why, why, why won't they buy in to Mr. Gunn's state of good repair plan and give Amtrak the full funding it needs and deserves?

I would think that the July ridership numbers (highest single month in Amtrak's history) would show that they are doing something right!

 

[tp49]

What it means is probably the status quo or possible reductions in things such as maintenance or station hours or levels of service. Not good but it does ensure survival.

 

[Amfleet]

I can't see how Amtrak can reduce maintenance. The Northeast Corridor is crumbling apart and more than half the passenger cars still need rebuilds or replacing. I could see the elimination of coach attendants, staffed stations, but Amtrak can't reduce much more. I kind of have a feeling however that Amtrak will get the additional 300 million some how if the bill passes.

 

[Superliner]

I couldn't agree more with your statments. Amtrak is being starved of the capital it needs to improve/repair/maintain it's equipment and services. Every year seems to get worse and worse. Deferring maintenance only places the system at risk and its passengers. Also, by starving Amtrak of the money it needs, it doesn't allow for growth in to a better nationwide passenger service. It's aggravating to hear that some of Amtrak's wreck-damaged equipment has been awaiting repairs for years! It's disgusting. Give Amtrak what it needs and deserves.

 

[tp49]

I can't see how Amtrak can reduce maintenance. The Northeast Corridor is crumbling apart and more than half the passenger cars still need rebuilds or replacing. I could see the elimination of coach attendants, staffed stations, but Amtrak can't reduce much more. I kind of have a feeling however that Amtrak will get the additional 300 million some how if the bill passes.

That may be but the funders are going to look at it this way, until something major breaks (track failure, major derailment caused by faulty tracks or signals) it will be ignored. Preventative maintenance or even routine maintenance are something that government managers do not think about with any regularity if there is any way possible that it can be deferred it will.

 

[jccollins]

That may be but the funders are going to look at it this way, until something major breaks (track failure, major derailment caused by faulty tracks or signals) it will be ignored. Preventative maintenance or even routine maintenance are something that government managers do not think about with any regularity if there is any way possible that it can be deferred it will.

And this is a big reason of why Amtrak has so many reliability problems. I have no doubt that these problems could easy be cut by 50-75% just by performing routine maintenance on schedule instead of continuously deferring it. Amtrak can only be starved for so long before the entire system really crumbles - it is barely in tact now...

 

[tp49]

Amtrak can only be starved for so long before the entire system really crumbles - it is barely in tact now...

and that in a nutshell is what they are hoping for so that they no longer have to justify the expense, and they can then turn to the states and say if this is benefitting you and you want to keep it then you have to contribute considerably more to keep it. This looks to me like nothing more then a leverage move to try and get the states to contribute more money (that most don't have) in order to keep things moving, then the feds could ultimately withdraw all funding with the system being entirely funded by the states. This is just the way I see things moving and it's a very slippery slope to say the least.