Hours after rail crash, Amtrak funding bill voted down

Charisse Jones | USA TODAY





As investigators launched their inquiry into the fatal derailment of an Amtrak train in Philadelphia, a congressional committee refused Wednesday to boost funding for the rail system that political officials say is critical to improve safety.

In the wake of Tuesday's crash, which killed seven and left dozens injured, Democratic members of the House Appropriations Committee pushed an amendment to give Amtrak the full $2.45 billion requested by President Obama.

But the amendment was voted down 21-30, leaving intact the previously proposed $1.13 billion for Amtrak. That represents a $251 million reduction from last year, and $1.3 billion less than what the president had asked for.

"It is deeply troubling that my Republican colleagues defeated an amendment to fully fund Amtrak just hours after this tragic rail crash," Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., said in a statement. "While we do not yet know the exact cause of yesterday's accident in Philadelphia, we do know that starving Amtrak of funding will inhibit safety upgrades, training and capital improvements. Our continued failure to invest in road and rail infrastructure is not just unwise, it is plainly a public safety hazard."

The derailment of Amtrak Northeast Regional Train 188 occurred in the busiest passenger rail corridor in North America, an artery that officials have long said is in critical need of new infrastructure to accommodate the region's commuting needs.

The train, traveling from Washington to New York, had 238 riders and five crewmembers on board when it went off the tracks after 9 p.m. ET Tuesday. The cause of Tuesday's accident is under investigation.

Amtrak trains running in the 456-mile northeast corridor that links Washington, D.C., with Boston stop in major hubs such as Philadelphia and New York City. While the tracks are shared with numerous commuter lines, they are particularly lucrative for, and vital, to Amtrak.

The indefinite suspension of service between New York and Philadelphia will impact millions of commuters. In its 2014 fiscal year, Amtrak carried 11.6 million riders in the northeast corridor, the most ever. And with more than 2,200 trains running over some section of the route every day, Amtrak ferries more than three times as many passengers between Washington and New York as the airline industry. It also carries more travelers between New York and Boston than all air carriers put together.

Amtrak said there would be modified service on Wednesday between Washington and Philadelphia, Harrisburg and Philadelphia, and New York and Boston. New Jersey Transit accepted Amtrak tickets for its service between New York and Trenton.

The service disruptions left commuters scrambling to find another way to their destinations. Many Bolt buses traveling from New York to Washington were sold out Wednesday afternoon. And those who wanted to fly might have found it hard to locate a spare seat.

Delta saw increased bookings on its shuttle flights between New York's La Guardia and Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington."Flights were full this afternoon,'' Delta spokeswoman Elizabeth Wolf said. "We continue to assess the need to add more capacity to support passenger demand.''

American Airlines meanwhile added two round-trip flights between La Guardia and Reagan National, and another between Philadelphia International and La Guardia, spokesman Casey Norton said.

Amtrak, formed by Congress 45 years ago, is a federally chartered corporation but functions as a for-profit business. Its officials have long called for investment to upgrade its rail system, particularly in the Northeast, which operates near or at capacity and has infrastructure that is in many places is at least 80 years old.

Amtrak had more than 30.9 million passengers on board in the fiscal year that ended in Sept. 2014, a 0.2% uptick compared to the previous year. But that was a smaller increase than the rail line had seen in previous years. In a statement announcing the company's 2014 performance, Amtrak noted that the tepid growth was at least partly the result of outdated infrastructure, which kept trains from staying on schedule.

In a July 2012 report that focused on the Northeast, Amtrak officials reiterated the need for higher speed service and the ability to accommodate more trains.

But as recently as March, the House thwarted an amendment by Republican Rep. Tom McClintock of California that would have ended the $1.4 billion in annual federal funding to Amtrak. Instead, the House passed a bipartisan bill that sought to change federal aid to the rail network.

Contributing: Bart Jansen, Brian Tumulty