Schumer: New Amtrak Chief on the Right Track

Schumer: New Amtrak Chief On The Right Track

New Chief Says Amtrak Needs Federal Funding To Keep Running Safely And Efficiently

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today welcomed remarks made yesterday by the new Amtrak CEO, Alexander Kummant, who said that he believed Amtrak needed federal funding in order to survive and grow. Schumer, who has been a long time advocate for Amtrak and has successfully lead the fight to reverse that Administration's budget cuts that would have shut down the railroad for good.

"It's about time that someone in this Administration has finally acknowledged that Amtrak needs federal funding to continue to serve its countless passengers," Schumer said. "For far too long this Administration has starved Amtrak of the funding it needs to survive and grow. Every year we have to fight for Amtrak's very existence because every year the President tries to bankrupt this essential transportation service. Thankfully, we have been able to reverse the President's budget cuts and give Amtrak the funding it needs to survive another year. I hope Mr. Kummant's comments signal that he will be an ally in the fight to preserve Amtrak for long term." At a House Transportation and Infrastructure Railroads Subcommittee hearing yesterday, Kummant spoke for two hours about the financial needs of Amtrak, explaining that even the most efficient rail passenger service needs government subsidies to survive. Currently Amtrak faces several problems—such as aging infrastructure to dirty rail cars and schedule delays—but its biggest challenge is financing major projects such as bridge and tunnel replacement. While some members of the house were quick to push for privatization of many routes including the Northeast Corridor, Kummant expressed the need for a federal and state solution to Amtrak financial struggles.

"A strong Amtrak is vital to the further development of the Capital Region. The Albany / Rensselaer is the 14 busiest Amtrak station in the country. But in addition to providing efficient transportation to New York City as well as points west, Amtrak also employs hundreds of people in the region," Schumer added.

http://schumer.senate.gov/SchumerWebsite/pressroom/record.cfm?id=264198&&year=2006&