Amtrak has signaled that if Congress wants long-distance trains to operate daily rather than tri-weekly it can make that happen by mandating it and providing funding.
Since last October all of Amtrak’s long-distance routes have operated on tri-weekly or quad-weekly schedules.
At the time those reduced schedules were implemented Amtrak cited steep ridership declines that followed in the wake of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It has since said that daily operation of those trains will be restored once they meet certain public health, ridership and future demand criteria.
However, in a statement Amtrak said Congress could override those standards.
“If Congress provides the direction and the needed funding, we would restore long-distance services to daily,” Amtrak said.
Earlier in the week, Amtrak had asked Congress for $1.5 million in emergency pandemic aid, saying that money is needed to recall workers furloughed last year and avoid future furloughs during the balance of the federal fiscal year that ends on Sept. 30.
Amtrak’s subsequent statement was an elaboration of how the passenger carrier would use the money it has requested.
Aside from reducing the frequency of operation of long-distance trains, Amtrak has suspended operations of some state-funded corridor trains as the states funding those trains have reduced how much they are spending on Amtrak service.
In its statement, Amtrak said employees who worked aboard those suspended trains would still be recalled if Amtrak gets the money it requested.
These recalls will be made even if individual states opt not to increase their funding of Amtrak corridor services and thus the trains they once worked aboard remain suspended.
Those recalled workers “could go wherever their seniority allows them; it might not be on an extra board, but they would be recalled and employed,” Amtrak said in the statement.
Tags: Amtrak, Amtrak funding, Amtrak long distance trains, Amtrak worker furloughs, Congress
Amtrak in the Heartland 
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