Dayton Decries Elimination of Amtrak Funding in President's Budget; Urges Congress to Provide Funding to Keep Trains Running in MN

DAYTON DECRIES ELIMINATION OF AMTRAK FUNDING IN PRESIDENT'S BUDGET; URGES CONGRESS TO PROVIDE FUNDING TO KEEP TRAINS RUNNING IN MINNESOTA

Amtrak's Empire Builder line employs 72 Minnesotans and transports over 170,000 residents per year.

U.S. Senator Mark Dayton and several of his Senate colleagues joined together recently in sending a letter to Senators Judd Gregg (R-NH) and Kent Conrad (D-ND), the leaders of the Senate Budget Committee, urging that the Committee provide sufficient funding to Amtrak in the FY 2006 Budget Resolution. According to Amtrak's five-year strategic plan, at least $1.5 billion in federal funds is required this year to ensure the railroad's safe and efficient operation.

Amtrak, the nation's only network passenger rail service, operates the long-distance train, the Empire Builder, which runs from Chicago through Minneapolis to Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. During FY 2004, total wages for the 72 Amtrak employees living in Minnesota were over $3.7 million.

"Minnesotans are riding the train and doing so in record numbers," said Dayton. "Frequent riders come, not only from the metro area, but from small communities across our state.

"Amtrak ridership is reaching record highs, despite the sluggness of the domestic travel industry. I believe that it is clearly a mistake to cut funds essential to Amtrak's operation of the Empire Builder, generating more than $39 million."

Over the last 30 months, Amtrak CEO and President David Gunn has cut operating costs, has reduced the employees from slightly fewer than 25,000 to just under 20,000, has increased by 20 percent the number of trains it operates, and has implemented internal reforms designed to control costs and improve efficiency. Amtrak's operating expenses are now less than in 2000.

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