posted USA Today reports that the FY 18 Spending Bill is a "done deal" and on its way to President Trump, who has no reasonable alternative but to sign it.
The reporting notes the LD trains with this quote taken from the Administration's Budget request:
“Amtrak’s long-distance trains do not serve a vital transportation purpose and are a vestige of when train service was the only viable transcontinental transportation option,”
Well, I have to say that considering Amtrak is getting $1.9B, I have to note that the LD's are the most profitable trains on the System.
Because they roll, their pork benefits numerous legislative districts, which means that as pork goes, they are mighty cheap providers of such.
palmland Member # 4344
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According to today’s news, after some reluctance, the President signed this today. According to Trains’ news wire it does sound like good news:
“Amtrak gains in the two designated categories, Northeast Corridor and National Network, are substantial. The Northeast Corridor would receive $650 million in 2018, up from $328 million in 2017, while the National Network would receive $1.292 billion, up from $1.1 billion. In all, Amtrak funding increases from $1.428 billion to $1.942 billion.”
sojourner Member # 3134
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hope no lines get terminated now
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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Mr. Palmland, I think that even if the appropriation is allocated, Amtrak is free to use it wherever needed. Likely where needed most is for Penn Station as well as equipping the locomotive fleet for PTC. This video, released by METRA, gives some visual idea of what is involved to make a locomotive PTC ready:
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