(The Associated Press circulated the following article on April 14.)
WASHINGTON — The Bush administration sent Congress on Thursday its plan to turn Amtrak into a private company that would focus on running trains in competition with other rail lines. It would set up a federal-state partnership to maintain tracks and stations.
The bill would also authorize money for projects on the Boston-Washington corridor, which carries nearly half of all passenger ridership. “This legislation is a lifeline to a dying railroad company,” Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta said.
The federal government would offer matching grants to states for projects to improve passenger rail service. Also, states could choose which rail lines to use.
“No matter which carrier a state chooses, the legislation guarantees that the winning passenger rail operator will have access to the train tracks in their region owned by freight or any other railroad entity,” the Transportation Department said in a statement.
Cliff Black, Amtrak’s spokesman, declined to comment on the plan.
Senator Jon Corzine, Democrat of New Jersey, said the measure was just the administration’s way of dismantling Amtrak.
“This latest gimmick by the president – to claim fiscal discipline by lowering numbers and shifting the cost burdens to states and communities – is ill fated, ill conceived and just plain wrong,” Mr. Corzine said.