(The following article by Peter J. Howe was posted on the Boston Globe website on September 22.)
BOSTON — Amtrak said it will resume running eight high-speed Acela round trips between Boston and Washington Monday, up from four weekday round trips currently.
The embattled passenger rail service revealed its plans as its chairman, David M. Laney, spoke to a House panel about steps Amtrak is considering to become profitable, one of which includes putting routes in the Northeast out for bid by private companies.
Brake problems forced Amtrak to shut down the 150 mile-per-hour train in April, and since then the railroad has been gradually restoring service.
Weekday service being restored next week includes trains leaving Boston’s South Station for New York, Philadelphia, and Washington at 9:20 a.m., 11:20 a.m., 1:20 p.m., and 5:20 p.m., and trains that return from those cities to South Station at 1:27 p.m., 3:27 p.m., 7:26 p.m., and 9:25 p.m.
Starting Oct. 2, Amtrak is also restoring two Sunday Acela round trips on the full Boston-Washington Northeast Corridor.
At the hearing of the House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee on railroads, Representative John Mica, a Florida Republican, said he planned legislation that would require Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta to conduct a competitive bid process seeking private companies to operate the Northeast routes.
Several plans have emerged in Congress this year to change operations of the money-losing railroad, which uses government aid to cover 40 percent of its costs. The Bush administration is running out of time this year to enact changes for Amtrak, one of its top transportation priorities.
Laney said during the proceeding that ”nothing is off the table,” including the congressman’s plan.
Amtrak is getting $1.2 billion in federal subsidies in the year that ends Sept. 30 and has requested $1.8 billion for next year. The White House has proposed no more than $360 million unless changes are enacted.