Recent Streetsblog USA posts about Amtrak

Think Privatizing Amtrak Services is a Good Idea? Think Again.

By Tanya Snyder | Jun 21, 2011 | 2 Comments

House Transportation Committee Chair John Mica (R-FL) is moving forward with his plan to hand over the Northeast Corridor to private companies, despite (or because of) the fact that such a move could write Amtrak’s obituary. Is privatizing the corridor a good move? Mica and Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA) say that with the participation of […]

Mica Accedes to Dems’ Request to Delay Action on Rail Privatization

By Tanya Snyder | Jun 21, 2011 | No Comments

John Mica has blinked. Rather than go full steam ahead with his fast-track plan to introduce his bill to privatize the Northeast Corridor today and to have the committee discuss it and vote on it tomorrow, Transportation Committee Chair John Mica (R-FL) has agreed to delay action to allow time for a full legislative hearing. […]

Rahall, Brown Say Dems Must Be Consulted on Rail Privatization

By Tanya Snyder | Jun 16, 2011 | No Comments

The top Democrats with jurisdiction over rail in the House are asking for a little old-time bipartisan cooperation in the Transportation Committee. They’re complaining that Republicans have shut them out of the process on one of the most important, game-changing proposals to come down the pike in a while: taking the Northeast Corridor away from […]

LaHood Defends Amtrak Against GOP Privatization Plan

By Tanya Snyder | Jun 15, 2011 | 3 Comments

In an email statement to Streetsblog, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood expressed concerns about the GOP plan to privatize the Northeast Corridor: Chairman Mica and I share a strong interest in high speed rail, particularly in the Northeast Corridor. He should be commended for giving this topic the attention it deserves. However, based upon our preliminary review, we […]

House Plan to Privatize Northeast Corridor Retains Public Ownership

By Tanya Snyder | Jun 15, 2011 | 8 Comments

Under the House Republicans’ proposal to bring more private competition to the nation’s most valuable transportation asset, the Northeast Corridor would remain in public hands. Transportation Committee Chair John Mica (R-FL) made clear that under his and Rail Subcommittee Chair Bill Shuster’s plan, “the public maintains ownership of the corridor; we’re not giving it to […]

GOP Proposal to Privatize the Northeast Corridor Meets Resistance

By Tanya Snyder | May 27, 2011 | 5 Comments

House Republicans, led by Transportation Committee leaders John Mica (R-FL) and Bill Schuster (R-PA), have a plan to take the Northeast Corridor out of Amtrak’s control and privatize it. They’ve long called Amtrak a “Soviet-style operation” that loses money. Mica said that ridership of the NEC hasn’t changed since 1977, the year after Amtrak took […]

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