Hotline #965: Senate Approves Further Amtrak Support for NEC; MTA Receives $27 Billion;...

Regular and continuous investment in railroad infrastructure is vital to long-term growth and success, especially for Amtrak in the Northeast Corridor. Congress made note of this when it passed a new measure that would allow Amtrak to direct money into overdue repair and maintenance work between Washington and Boston, its busiest route in the country. The appropriations bill was passed last week and included $114 billion for transportation and housing programs. Language in this section allows Amtrak to channel its $300 million in annual profits from the NEC, back into the region’s infrastructure. Previously Amtrak used its profits to subsidize other routes throughout the country, but the change can allow Amtrak to maintain the NEC route’s bridges, viaducts and tunnels that are decades old and carry 2,000 passengers a day. The full Senate approved the bill last week, but it must now be merged with whatever the House passes before moving to the president’s desk for enactment. Fortunately,

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