Concerned about potential union job losses if Amtrak is broken up or scrapped altogether, Boyd said freight railroads and rail labor should pool their expertise to create and advance a passenger rail rescue plan.

"Recently,railroad and rail-union CEOs designed a long-term solution to a finacially troubled railroad pension plan," Boyd wrote. "The same energy, experience and consensus can and should be directed toward preserving,expanding and improving our national rail passenger sysstem."

Boyd, who in November said Amtrak's management should be replaced, again was critical of Amtrak brass and claimed the railroad would run out of cash by March. Boyd blamed Amtrak President and CEO George Warrington for creating ill will toward the railroad on Capitol Hill. And the union president claimed that Amtrak never fought hard enough for sufficient funding from Congress.

Amtrak spokespeople did not return phone calls or e-mails seeking comment.

The solution to the Amtrak problem, Boyd said, was for Congress to provide a sufficient,reliable and dedicated source of funding. The rail industry could draft a plan to put that funding to work, Boyd said.

"The UTU believes the solution to America's rail passenger problem lies in bringing together at a rail-policy summit the leaders of our rail freight system and the CEOs of the unions representing employees who have made freight railroading so efficient in America," he wrote. "These unions also represent Amtrak employees, whose skills and dedication can be put to work improving and expanding a revitalized and reconfigured national rail passenger network,"

Boyd claimed that freight railroads could even be interested in taking back passenger service that they so gladly gave up three decades ago. And he claimed that two railroads- Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern-were studying the possibility of operating current Amtrak routes on their systems.

Officials at both railroads denied this.

"There's been some talk about the current environment. I wouldn't call it a study. Some discussion would be be a more appropriate term," said UP spokesman John Bromley. "We are definitely not considering getting back into passenger train service,"

at NS, railroad officials aare not contemplating operating Amtrak trains. Instead, officials are examining what the potential effect would be if Amtrak is liquidated or restructured.

But Canadian National says it would be interested in running passengers on its U.S. subsidaries as long as sufficient funding is provided and it would be profitable for the railroad.

"There is a compelling public interest that says this country needs a national rail passenger system and needs to maintain the infrastructure to provide people with the ability to move by rail," Boyd quoted CN Chief Operating Officer E. Hunter Harrison as saying. If railroads were in a position where they could be rewarded on the bottom line for their performance,clearly we could make it work."

CN spokesman Mark Hallman confirmed Harrison's quotes, and reiterated that the railroad would be interested in any business proposition that would bring CN a profit-and that goes for both freight and passenger ventures.

To read Boyd's opinion piece, click on http://www.utu.org/News/News/2002/Jan/010702-1.htm.