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Release #05-24
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Washington-—The National Association of Railroad Passengers applauds the efforts of the Senate Appropriations Committee to provide Amtrak with essential funding for fiscal 2006.
The Committee today approved $1.45 billion, an increase of $50 million above what the subcommittee approved Tuesday, and $274 million above the House-passed level. As Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), the committee’s top Democrat noted, $1.45 billion is in the middle of the $1.4-1.5 billion range DOT Inspector General Kenneth Mead testified Amtrak needed to maintain current services.
NARP Executive Director Ross B. Capon said, “We appreciate the supportive and bipartisan work of the committee, particularly the full committee and subcommittee chairmen and ranking members—-Thad Cochran (R-MS), Robert Byrd (D-WV), Christopher Bond (R-MO) and Patty Murray (D-WA). The House votes on June 29 and Senate committee actions this week show that Congress wants a national passenger rail system.”
Capon expressed concern about language in the Senate bill that threatens Amtrak’s ability to continue providing on-board food service and possibly sleeping cars.
He said, “Reforms and financial improvements are important. For example, the need for changes to Amtrak’s current food outsourcing contract is widely acknowledged. But Amtrak should be judged on its overall bottom line. Congress should not be dictating Amtrak menus. Amtrak’s experience running ‘bare-bones’ long-distance trains, like the Three Rivers discontinued early this year, has not been good. Creating a network of third-class trains would drive away riders and hurt the bottom line. In any event, matters of this nature should be considered by the authorizing committees.”
Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT) put it well Tuesday when he said, “Food and beverages, as well as sleeper cars, are essential components of long-distance train travel. I agree that Amtrak needs to be more aggressive in contracting for food and beverage service, but I also believe we need to keep those amenities available.”
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