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Gunn: 'Federal goal is to scuttle Amtrak'
ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Amtrak Chief Executive David Gunn told a St. Louis audience Thursday (Aug. 25) that the passenger railroad is not in a crisis, then blasted the U.S. Transportation Department for a mind-set he says could destroy Amtrak, according to this report by Tim McLaughlin published by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
"If Amtrak fails, intercity passenger rail will be gone in this country," Gunn said at a Downtown St. Louis Partnership breakfast at the Sheraton hotel. "If we can't make it at Amtrak, we're all in trouble."
When Gunn joined Amtrak in 2002 as an appointee of President George W. Bush, the national passenger railroad was in a financial crisis and weeks away from missing its payroll. "We're not a company in crisis today," Gunn said.
Crisis is a relative term at Amtrak, where turmoil has been a way of life since Congress created the railroad in 1970 to provide the passenger service that freight railroads no longer wanted. Since then, the federal government has subsidized Amtrak's service to the tune of $30 billion. But as Gunn quickly notes, highway and air travel have received nearly $2 trillion in subsidies during that time.
Amtrak requested $1.8 billion for fiscal 2006, but Gunn said $1.45 billion will adequately keep its capital improvement program on track. The House and Senate have approved Amtrak spending of $1.2 billion and $1.4 billion, respectively
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ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Amtrak Chief Executive David Gunn told a St. Louis audience Thursday (Aug. 25) that the passenger railroad is not in a crisis, then blasted the U.S. Transportation Department for a mind-set he says could destroy Amtrak, according to this report by Tim McLaughlin published by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
"If Amtrak fails, intercity passenger rail will be gone in this country," Gunn said at a Downtown St. Louis Partnership breakfast at the Sheraton hotel. "If we can't make it at Amtrak, we're all in trouble."
When Gunn joined Amtrak in 2002 as an appointee of President George W. Bush, the national passenger railroad was in a financial crisis and weeks away from missing its payroll. "We're not a company in crisis today," Gunn said.
Crisis is a relative term at Amtrak, where turmoil has been a way of life since Congress created the railroad in 1970 to provide the passenger service that freight railroads no longer wanted. Since then, the federal government has subsidized Amtrak's service to the tune of $30 billion. But as Gunn quickly notes, highway and air travel have received nearly $2 trillion in subsidies during that time.
Amtrak requested $1.8 billion for fiscal 2006, but Gunn said $1.45 billion will adequately keep its capital improvement program on track. The House and Senate have approved Amtrak spending of $1.2 billion and $1.4 billion, respectively
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