In a report published by Reuters on March 4, Amtrak said it will boost passenger services on the East Coast as it aims to double ridership nationwide by 2040. BLET General Chairman Patrick W. Darcy Jr. welcomed the news but said improvements to the rest of Amtrak’s system — not just the Northeast Corridor — are equally important.
According to Reuters, the railroad is increasing Northeast Regional service between Boston and Washington by as much as 20% on weekdays and will add 1 million additional seats over the next year. Congress approved $66 billion in funding for rail projects as part of a massive infrastructure bill in 2021, with $22 billion dedicated to Amtrak and $36 billion made available for grants.
Brother Darcy said: “The long overdue improvements in the Northeast Corridor, which stemmed from the $66 billion infrastructure bill, are vitally critical; not only for our members, but also for our passengers who ride this route daily. Now we need the government to realize that an investment throughout the entire Amtrak system is also of vital importance. Adding more daily trains and fixing aging infrastructure are long overdue and necessary to bring passenger service within this country into the 21st century.”
Brother Darcy became Amtrak’s General Chairman on January 1 following the retirement of long-serving General Chairman Mark B. Kenny.
Photo courtesy: Cory Rusch, BLET Division 659