(The Associated Press circulated the following article on April 29.)
WASHINGTON — New York state’s transportation commissioner was confirmed late Thursday night to lead the U.S. Federal Railroad Administration, a safety agency for passenger and freight trains.
Joseph Boardman was one of several for national posts approved easily by a voice vote in the U.S. Senate after the chamber approved a budget outline for the upcoming fiscal year.
Boardman, a career transportation professional, will now head the federal agency with the primary role of making safety recommendations.
“New York’s loss is the nation’s gain,” Pataki said in a statement. “I have no doubt … he will take the steps needed to improve and strengthen our nation’s rail system for the millions of commuters, businesses, and recreational travelers that depend upon America’s passenger and freight transportation network every day.”
Rep. John Sweeney, R-Clifton Park, said he believed Boardman’s appointment will help address Amtrak’s strengths and weaknesses.
A lifelong resident of New York, Boardman grew up on an Oneida County dairy farm. He served in the U.S. Air Force in Vietnam in 1968 and 1969. He is a graduate of Cornell University and the State University of New York at Binghamton.
Though a Republican appointee, his nomination was supported by New York’s two Democratic senators, Charles Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Boardman’s appointment comes as Northeast lawmakers are fighting a White House proposal to end the operating subsidy for Amtrak, which received $1.2 billion from the government last year.
In his nomination hearing, Boardman said Congress and the administration should be able to find a way to fix the financially troubled passenger rail service.
Amtrak suffered another setback April 14 when FRA inspectors found cracks on the disc brakes of many of its Acela Express high-speed trains, which run between Washington, New York, and Boston.
The Acela service has been suspended until summer while engineers try to replace the damaged brakes.