Amtrak officials maintain that funding is needed to continue focusing on improving future intercity passenger rail service in the wake of the carrier meeting the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our dedicated employees continue to work tirelessly through the pandemic to keep this country moving, advance critical infrastructure and update technology and services, and provide safe transportation to customers,” Amtrak President & CEO Bill Flynn said. “However, without additional funding for 2021, we will be forced to further reduce service, defer critical capital projects, and make more job reductions despite this important progress.”
Amtrak noted business remains at roughly 25 percent of pre-COVID levels, and current projections indicate ridership and revenue are expected to improve to about 37 percent of pre-COVID levels by the end of fiscal year 2021.
The carrier recently offered an assessment of several operational categories, including equipment, stations, and infrastructure.
Concerning equipment, officials said Amtrak advanced testing on the #NewAcela trainsets, with efforts including gathering data needed to meet regulatory requirements, improving infrastructure and facilities, and developing training for flagship service next generation trains to begin carrying customers by the end of 2021.
Amtrak has initiated efforts to refresh major stations across the country for the stations, including northeast upgrades of ticketed waiting areas at New York Penn Station – a major construction project increasing rail capacity at Washington Union Station.
From an infrastructure perspective, Amtrak said it accomplished additional work this summer due to reduced train volumes, noting as an example the B&P Tunnel concrete slab, tie, rail normally completed on extended weekend outages in two to three years was completed with extended outages this summer.
Amtrak also took advantage of reduced train frequencies to accelerate data collection efforts in performing LiDAR mapping of infrastructure.
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November 30, 2020 at 08:34PM
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Amtrak maintains funding needed for continued service - Transportation Today
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