1/19/2001 08:14

NEW LONDON, Conn. Amtrak has laid off more than 80 workers in the Northeast, most of them in Connecticut involved in the high-speed electrification projects.

The layoffs announced Thursday affect building, track, bridge,signal and communications workers.
Dozens of Amtrak workers from New Haven, New London and Providence gathered at an Amtrak office to fill out unemployment forms.

In New London, 21 track workers, nine bridge and building workers and up to 25 signal and communication workers are being let go.

Russ Hall, an Amtrak spokesman, said workers had employment options outside New England. He said workers could seek employment in the Northeast Corridor's southern division, which encompasses New York,Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

Hall said employees were let go because construction of the electrified railroad for the high-speed Acela Express was complete and some jobs are seasonal.

''Historically, during this time of year there are layoffs,'' said Hall. ''We can't do a lot of track work during harsh winters.''

(Yes, I know that my reply is 16 months late, but this caught my eye. More Amtrak waste, it seems to me. Also, it's rather inaccurate to term the project "high-speed" electrification when the trains aren't traveling at high speed; well, I guess it's high speed compared to what the diesels used to do, but to electrify an extremely curvy main line doesn't turn it into a high-speed corridor.)

[This message has been edited by irishchieftain (edited 05-05-2002).]