Rail Passengers Association officials expressed gratitude to the House of Representatives after lawmakers released a coronavirus bill, including $2.4 billion in Amtrak funding and $32 billion for public transit.
“We are incredibly grateful that the House is taking action to avert these disastrous cuts to passenger trains and we’re calling on the Senate to follow suit,” Rail Passengers President and CEO Jim Mathews said. “The previous stimulus package passed by the House in May didn’t include any money for Amtrak. That we’ve come so far in a few short months is a testament to the power of the committed advocacy of this organization, of our members and of passengers all across America.”
The bill, per authorities, would provide $220 million instead of payments from states and commuter rail passenger transportation providers; $92 million for use by Amtrak to repay or prepay debt; National Network Grants totaling $1 billion, including
$350 million instead of Sec. 209 payments by states for state-supported Amtrak corridors; and Public Transit Grants totaling $32 billion.
While the Rail Passengers Association acknowledged the new proposal is more than $1 trillion less than the Heroes Act passed by the House in May, it is more than what the Senate indicated it would be willing to pass.
The organization said it would continually urge the Senate to take action and avert cuts the Rail Passengers Association maintains would have a $2 billion impact.