"President Biden’s infrastructure plan calls for an unprecedented boost in federal aid to the nation’s passenger rail system, seeking to address Amtrak’s repair backlog, extend service to more cities and modernize the network in the Northeast Corridor.
The American Jobs Plan announced Wednesday calls for $80 billion for rail — money that could be crucial in taking passenger service to cities such as Las Vegas and Nashville, and expand operations across large metropolitan areas such as Atlanta and Houston.
“President Biden’s infrastructure plan is what this nation has been waiting for,” Amtrak chief executive William J. Flynn said, while echoing Biden’s push to rebuild and improve the busy Washington-Boston rail corridor.
Under the White House plan, intercity rail would receive up to a 400 percent boost in funding, according to some estimates, a transformational investment that could bring major rail expansions and millions more riders. The passenger railroad receives about $2 billion of federal subsidies annually to cover operations in its national and Northeast networks, as well as other grants and funding for state-sponsored service."
Luz Lazo reports for the Washington Post April 1, 2021.
SEE ALSO:
"Dozens of New Amtrak Routes in US? Biden’s Infrastructure Plan Could Help Fund Them" (McClatchy)
