AMTRAK RUNNING FAST BUT LOW

This article considers the financial state of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. Major components of the systems $1-billion in improvements along the 710-km-long corridor are underway. Of 300 structures, about 60 have inadequate clearance for the high-speed trains expected to be shipped from France by the year 2000. Unless new legislation passes the fate of the corridor might be in limbo. A 13-member bipartisan group studying intercity passenger rail submitted a report in June 1997 suggesting that a new federally owned corporation take over the infrastructure maintenance on the Northeast Corridor while Amtrak tends to the passenger service. Amtrak is currently $1 billion in debt and the purchase of the high-speed train sets will incur an additional $1 billion in debt. An additional potential obstacle is the coordination between Amtrak and local railroad companies, with whom Amtrak shares tracks.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/08919526
• Corporate Authors:

  McGraw-Hill, Incorporated

  330 West 42nd Street
  New York, NY  United States  10036
• Publication Date: 1997-7-7

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Photos;
• Pagination: p. 17
• Serial:
  • ENR
  • Volume: 239
  • Issue Number: 1
  • Publisher: McGraw-Hill, Incorporated
  • ISSN: 0891-9526

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Budgeting; Federal government; Finance; High speed rail; Intercity transportation; Railroad equipment industry
• Identifier Terms: Amtrak
• Geographic Terms: Northeast Corridor; Northeastern United States
• Old TRIS Terms: Federal budgets
• Subject Areas: Economics; Finance; Railroads; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00738398
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 13 1997 12:00AM