(The Delaware News Journal published the following story by Murali Balaji on its website on September 15.)
WILMINGTON, Del. — More than 900 potential Delaware jobs are at stake along with Amtrak’s future as Congress considers this week whether to pay for the carrier’s $1.8 billion plan to repair crumbling bridges, replace old track and hire more workers.
Amtrak has recalled furloughed workers at its Bear and Wilmington maintenance shops to help upgrade its ailing infrastructure and wants to add more than 900 workers in Delaware over the next five years, according to plans submitted to Congress.
The national rail carrier has recalled 60 of the nearly 200 workers furloughed last year in the state and plans to recall more by the end of the year to repair diesel-engine locomotives at the Wilmington shop, company officials said. Amtrak is also laying concrete railroad ties for high-speed lines along the Northeast Corridor with the help of a massive, quarter-mile-long track-laying machine that had been sitting dormant in Delaware since 1996.
Amtrak spokesman Cliff Black called Delaware a vital resource because Wilmington is home to the company’s consolidated operations and training centers. Delaware officials said they are encouraged by the moves but do not know whether the rail carrier will receive enough money to carry out its plans, estimated at $1.8 billion annually over the next five years.
A House and Senate conference committee will take up the plan this week, though it appears unlikely Amtrak will receive the entire $1.8 billion. Last week, the Senate appropriations committee approved a $1.3 billion allocation for 2004, but the House of Representatives approved only $900 million as part of a $33.8 billion transportation bill.
Amtrak machinist David Tackett, who works at the Wilmington maintenance shop, said he and his co-workers are concerned about Amtrak’s future.
“We’d like to see some kind of dedicated funding so that we don’t have to go through this every year,” Tackett said.
In July, President Bush proposed dividing Amtrak into three companies by 2010. Congressional leaders, including members of the Delaware delegation, oppose the plan, noting it offers no specifics on how to pay for the division and that ending Amtrak would endanger daily passenger rail service in some parts of the country.
Delaware legislators have called for an increase in Amtrak’s annual appropriations, saying a fully funded national rail system is vital to the country and Amtrak operations are important in states like Delaware.
Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., and Rep. Mike Castle, R-Del., said Amtrak needs reforms to be more cost-effective, but it should not be done at the expense of important rail services.
Nearly 700,000 riders travel on Amtrak from Delaware annually, making an efficient rail system important locally, Biden said.
Gov. Ruth Ann Minner said Amtrak is an important part of the state’s economy, because it employs about 1,100 people in Delaware. Minner said she was encouraged by the recalls and hopes Amtrak can create more job opportunities in Delaware.
Biden said full funding for Amtrak would create 960 jobs in Delaware.
Amtrak President David Gunn cited ridership gains this summer – including a record month in July, when 2.2 million passengers rode Amtrak-owned or -operated trains – as a primary reason for the government to support Amtrak’s plans.