Amtrak builds momentum behind critical upgrades
While the Trump presidency was an unknown quantity at the time this article was written, the president and CEO of Amtrak, Wick Moorman, felt it was a great opportunity, in terms of the discussion on infrastructure. Moorman seeks to drive efficiency and make Amtrak more responsive to customer needs. A priority is boosting capacity and performance on its flagship route, the Northeast Corridor (NEC), with many discussions with the Department of Transportation and Capitol Hill about how to replace the Northeast Regional fleet. The Acela fleet replacement is forthcoming, entering revenue service from 2021 onwards. Details on funding are provided, with a loan from the Federal Railroad Administration's Railroad Rehabilitation & Improvement Financing program, billed as the largest investment in Amtrak's 45-year history. The Gateway Program is also at the top of Amtrak's to-do list, eliminating a major bottleneck in New York and creating additional capacity on the most congested section of the route. Ensuring that its services meet passenger expectations is another priority, with e-ticketing and the introduction in 2016 of online booking for travel with pets and bicycles, as well as enhanced onboard Wi-Fi. Above all, predictable, dedicated funding to build new tracks, tunnels, bridges and other infrastructure is crucial, especially on the NEC and in Chicago.
- Record URL:
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Availability:
- Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/07445326
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Authors:
- Barrow, Keith
- Publication Date: 2017-1
Language
- English
Media Info
- Media Type: Print
- Features: Figures; Photos;
- Pagination: pp 16-19
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Serial:
- International Railway Journal
- Volume: 57
- Issue Number: 1
- Publisher: Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation
- ISSN: 0744-5326
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Financing; Infrastructure; Railroad trains; Rolling stock
- Identifier Terms: Acela Express; Amtrak
- Uncontrolled Terms: Railroad capacity
- Geographic Terms: Northeast Corridor
- Subject Areas: Finance; Operations and Traffic Management; Passenger Transportation; Railroads; Vehicles and Equipment;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01630264
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS
- Created Date: Mar 27 2017 9:34AM