Title: Amtrak CEO tells employees to expect pay cuts - World Socialist Web Site
Headings: Amtrak CEO tells employees to expect pay cuts
Amtrak CEO tells employees to expect pay cuts
Jeff Lusanne

Content: In 2013, Amtrak reached its highest-ever ridership, 31.5 million, which compares to just 20 million in the year 2000. In the case of Amtrak, the underfunding of equipment is so severe that it effectively cannot expand service even as ridership grows. Existing small orders for new passenger cars are only to replace the oldest passenger cars, and therefore will not add significant capacity. The fleet of diesel engines that powers many Amtrak trains are approaching 20 years of age, and at present so many are out of service for maintenance that it threatens a shortage of power to maintain current operations. The Northeast Corridor, which carried 11.4 million passengers in 2012, is Amtrak’s busiest route and has the highest speeds in the country. Its high-priced “Acela Express” service competes with airlines for business travelers between Washington, D.C., Boston, and points in between. But the infrastructure of the route is often ancient and causes daily problems and delays. The estimated cost to upgrade the route ranges from $25 to $50 billion—while Amtrak’s overall federal funding in 2013 was just $1.37 billion. Boardman’s reference to overtime costs as a significant budget issue for Amtrak disregards the fact that overtime is incurred as a result of workers’ daily efforts to make such old equipment and infrastructure function correctly. He also fails to mention delays caused by private freight railroads to Amtrak service, which lengthen the work day of on-board staff and require extra crews.