In its FY 2014 funding request to Congress, Amtrak reports it is stressing the need for more federal capital investment to improve and expand intercity passenger rail while requesting significantly less in federal operating support.
“If we truly want to realize our vision of what rail can offer America, in terms of real mobility improvements and rational modal choices, policy decisions must be made and funding provided to match them. These are big decisions, and will require bold thinking, but they will deliver value for the money,” said Amtrak President and CEO Joe Boardman.
Boardman said Amtrak ridership, revenue, on-time performance and other leading indicators are at record levels or improving. Since 2010, for every dollar of federal investment, America’s Railroad has placed nearly $3 back into the economy, Amtrak said.
These achievements, he said, provide “tangible evidence of the public benefit federal investment in Amtrak delivers to the taxpayer, the traveling public and the American economy."
He stressed that since the federal government established Amtrak as the foundation of a national intercity passenger rail system, the modernizing and maintaining of that system is a significant federal responsibility, including the operation of long-distance routes.
For FY 2014, Amtrak said it is seeking $373 million in federal operating support, or about 17 percent less than it requested in FY 2013. This is made possible by an improved financial position where last fiscal year Amtrak covered 88 percent of its operating costs with ticket sales and other non-federal revenue sources, up from 85 per cent the prior year, Amtrak said.
In addition, if current service levels are maintained, Amtrak said its state revenues in FY 2014 should increase by approximately $85 million as Amtrak and the states implement a Congressional requirement on cost allocation for short -distance routes.
Also for FY 2014, Amtrak said it is requesting $2.065 billion in federal capital support to maintain the Northeast Corridor and other Amtrak owned or maintained infrastructure.
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