Amtrak Funding Bill Isn’t Good News for Northeast Corridor Passengers
Photo Credit: An Amtrak train near Crowley, Texas. Flickr / Kurt Haubrich
Skift Take
This isn't a perfect bill for Amtrak, but at this point it's better than stalling its passage for years because of partisan gridlock.
The annual clash in the U.S. Congress over Amtrak funding is under way as the national rail company faces the prospect of a continued deterioration of its equipment and operations.
The annual fundng battle goes back decades and can get tangled. For example, when one funding reauthorization expired in 2002 it took Congress six years to pass a new bill.
The government doesn't keep a bank account solely for Amtrak and there's no dedicated funding set aside for passenger rail each year. Coming up with the monies requires an annual scavenging for funds from other funding bills.
The previous version of the bill, known as the Passenger Rail Reform and Rein
