Amtrak funding drastically cut
President Obama last week signed the
2012 appropriations bill that includes Amtrak funding.
The bill includes $1.6 billion for
Federal Railroad Administration programs. Amtrak will receive $1.4
billion. This is $64 billion less than in fiscal year 2011.
Congress last week ratified the
Appropriations Bill setting 2012 funding levels for several
government agencies including the departments of Transportation,
Agriculture, Justice, Housing and Urban Development.
A congressional budget deal eliminated
funding for high-speed rail as part of the deal.
Of the $1.4 billion Amtrak will
receive, $681 million is targeted for capital improvements. The
deal requires Amtrak to impose overtime limits on employees and
doesn’t allow it to offer discounts over 50 percent from normal
peak fares.