(The Associated Press circulated the following article on February 20.)
WASHINGTON — Amtrak officials say they need money for infrastructure improvements. The national passenger railroad says some of its proposed improvements are along its heavily traveled northeast corridor.
Amtrak is asking Congress for one-and-a-half (b) billion dollars for fiscal 2008.
That’s about 18 percent more than Amtrak is getting this year and nearly twice the amount proposed by President Bush.
Amtrak says it has improved efficiency and increased revenues since reform efforts began at the government-owned corporation in 2005. Its request for operating funding is the same as what it’s getting this year — 485 million dollars. But Amtrak says that’s actually an improvement because it’s not going up with inflation.
Amtrak provides passenger rail service to Mobile, Birmingham, Tuscaloosa and Anniston.