Edward Wytkind, President of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), of which TCU is a member, recently issued a statement about the markup of the Passenger Rail Reform and Investment Act of 2015:
“We are pleased that the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved a bipartisan passenger rail bill that provides multi-year investment for Amtrak while rejecting ill-advised attempts to force unwanted privatization mandates on the rail carrier, its passengers, and its employees,” said President Wytkind.
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee sent the $7 billion authorization bill (HR 749) to the full House. The bill seeks to help Amtrak limit its losses on its unprofitable long-distance routes while pouring more funds into the Washington-to-Boston line, one of the few routes that makes money for the system.
The bipartisan bill would authorize Amtrak’s new practice of budgeting for its long-distance, mid-range and Northeast Corridor lines separately. Under the legislation, the profits from the Northeast Corridor would be reinvested in the corridor, rather than going into the system’s main fund to be used across the national network.
Click here to read the full statement from TTD President Wytkind.