Amtrak Funding

The New England Council has always been supportive of Amtrak, as it provides a valuable transportation option for so many business and leisure travelers from throughout our region. Recently the Council has been very active in its support for fully funding Amtrak’s budget request. Much of this request would go towards badly-needed capitol repairs along the critically important Northeast Corridor.

Amtrak provides an essential transportation option up and down the Northeast Corridor (and on connector routes to the Corridor in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont) for millions of New Englanders. Over the last few years, Amtrak has been faced with funding levels at various stages of the appropriations process that would be so low as to force the shutdown of the entire Amtrak system. Fortunately, so far, Amtrak has ultimately received the necessary funding to ensure its survival.

This year, Amtrak is again threatened with a so-called “shutdown” appropriation. The Council has joined together with more than 50 other business organizations from up and down the East Coast to form the Business Coalition for East Coast Rail. The Coalition has been working to raise awareness of the importance the business community places on Amtrak, and of the importance of fully funding Amtrak’s budget request to its short- and long-term survival.

Education:

• May 2005: Spotlight on Regional Rail

Advocacy:

• View:
• All
• 2007
• 2006
• 2005
• 2004
• 2003

• November 2007: Letter to the House Supporting Increased Funding for Amtrak