The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) wants to measure performance and service quality in intercity passenger train operations.
The new rule would measure performance by how many times an Amtrak intercity passenger train is on-time, and set forth 80 percent as the minimum on-time performance standard.
“Eighty percent is a minimum standard,” FRA Administrator Ronald L. Batory said. “We expect many routes will be much more reliable. Clarity should help all parties ensure compliance.”
The proposed standards would provide stakeholders – customers, Amtrak, Amtrak’s service providers, the FRA, and others – with a way to objectively gauge intercity passenger train travel, the FRA said.
“After extensive stakeholder consultation, FRA is proposing new metrics to promote transparency for railroads and travelers alike,” Batory said. “We expect that all parties are interested in achieving higher performance.”
The rule would provide additional measurements for evaluating Amtrak’s service to the public, including financial performance and customer service metrics.
Earlier this month, Jim Mathews, president and CEO of the Rail Passengers Association, asked Congress to include a $1 billion bailout for Amtrak to offset revenue losses from the collapse of intercity travel brought on by directives from the federal government for employees to work from home if possible to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
FRA said it would hold public hearings on the proposed rulings at a future date. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, the public hearing would likely be a virtual one, the agency said.