Word: amtrak
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1980-1989
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...amount of interest on the part of local and state authorities to pick up the service." The most likely region to keep its trains rolling would be the 455-mile Northeast corridor between Boston and Washington, where 120-m.p.h. Metroliners and other trains carry more than half of all Amtrak riders...
...Administration's proposal drew instant fire from passengers and Amtrak officials. "It's really ridiculous," said Ross Capon, executive director of the National Association of Railroad Passengers. Amtrak executives argued that shutting down the 23,600-mile system could cost more than running it, at least in the short term. The line has $3.1 billion in assets, including train cars and stations, that Amtrak officials say would be worth almost nothing if passenger service becomes extinct. In addition, more than 25,000 workers would demand some $2.1 billion in severance...
...debate about Amtrak's future comes along just when the railroad is picking up steam. The Government created the line, officially named the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, in 1970 to give America's struggling railroads a break. While hauling freight is potentially profitable, carting people around has long been a money-losing business. Amtrak's infusion of federal cash helped turn the line from an ancient, rusty clunker into a relatively sleek machine...
...scenic trains like the California Zephyr, which snakes through the Rockies, has been growing about three times as fast. As a result, the railroad's revenue is covering an increasing portion of expenses. Even so, the Government picks up more than 40% of the real cost of an Amtrak traveler's ticket...
With their born-again efficiency, U.S. freight railroads no doubt will be profitably hauling goods into the 21st century. But the day of judgment for the passenger train has arrived. Unless Congress decides to help keep Amtrak rolling, the only long-haul rail passengers left in America may be the hobos who ride the boxcars...