2001 news archives

Photo gallery

Subscription info

Rail gift shop

Rail Travel News is a twice-monthly print publication, published since Dec 10, 1970.
Publisher: Message Media Company,
PO Box 9007,
Berkeley CA 94709.
Website copyright © 1997-2005 by Message Media Co.

Contact us
Site map

     David Gunn, dismissed from his position as President of Amtrak, told Railway Age that as a result "there will be a lot of train-offs and other service cutbacks."

     On Tuesday, Nov. 15 the rail subcommittee of the  House
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will hold a hearing on the firing of Gunn and on the question of the Amtrak board operating soon without a quorum.

     Subcommittee chair Steven C. LaTourette (R-OH) also believes that some of the Board members may have been improperly appointed. 

     Rail advocates have been petitioning C-SPAN to broadcast the hearing.

 The Amtrak board on the morning of November 9 fired President David Gunn. The board currently consists of four Bush appointees, two of which appointments will expire when Congress adjourns this year. By law, seven members should constitute the board.

 The move appeared to be the latest action in the Bush Administration’s plan to dismantle Amtrak. David Gunn told the New York Times that "Obviously, what their goal is - and it's been their goal from the beginning - is to liquidate the company." 

 Congress has been supportive of Amtrak this year, putting it at odds with the administration. Having failed to kill off Amtrak through Congressional action, the White House now seeks to destroy Amtrak from within.
        (read more here)
 

    AMTRAK RIDERSHIP: THIRD YEAR OF RECORD PATRONAGE
   Amtrak announced that in FY2005 just ended it had counted 25,374,998 passengers, for the third straight year of record ridership. Most impressive was that this happened in spite of major disruptions to service due to hurricanes and the down time of the Acela high-speed trains. The full report along with detailed route-by-route figures can be found on the Amtrak site at this link.

Subscribe today!
For new subscribers
Renewing subscribers
To subscribe by US Mail
Request sample copy

DOT'S MINETA HARASSING AMTRAK &  AMTRAK'S REPLY TO THE MINETA LETTER
NARP: DOT OVERSTATES LONG DISTANCE TRAIN PRICE TAG BY $600 MILLION
SENATE HEARING UNDERLINES AMTRAK FUNDING CRUNCH; LONG-DISTANCE TRAINS NOT THE PROBLEM
The shape of long distance trains to come.

Join or donate to the National Association of Railroad Passengers.
Site map