Passenger Trains > Amtrak funding for 2010 decided -- good news

House/Senate Conferees finally agreed on the 2010 Amtrak Budget and will now send it to the President for signature. Here is what Amtrak will get:

TOTAL FUNDING; AMTRAK ASKED FOR $1.84B ($303M more than last year) - THEY GOT $1.58B ($90M more than last year - a 19% increase.)

The above is broken down into 3 areas as follows:

CAPITAL: Amtk. asked for $975M - -- they got $1B ($25M more than last year)
OPERATIONS; Amtk. asked for %580M - they got $560M ($20M less than last year)
Insp.General:Amtk.asked for $21M - they got $20M ($1M less than last year)


The Conferees also agreed to add $2.5B more to the current $8B HSR Stimulus money. However, a small portion of this new money ($130M) must be dedicated as follows: $50M for HSR planning; $50M for FRA to administer this money and "oversee" it; and $30M for HSR research & development.

Naturally, I'm thrilled, and I'm sure Pres. Obama will sign it, but I have two big worries: Ray LaHood must get the now $10.5B HSR money "out the door", and Amtrak sure-the-hell better spend some of that $1B Capital money on new equipment and stop their stalling!
Joe

Where did you hear this? I've seen nothing online about it so far today...

Thanks!

Jarrod DellaChiesa
Oakley, CA

On a related matter we still have on word on the man that will spend it...Joseph Boardman. His temporary appointment was up November 30.

To: Jdellachiesa: the Amtrak info came from the Progressive Railroading news website, and news about the additional $2.5B for HSR came from the subscribtion only webswite--HSR Updates--also put out by Progressive Railroading.
Joe

floridajoe2001 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> To: Jdellachiesa: the Amtrak info came from the
> Progressive Railroading news website, and news
> about the additional $2.5B for HSR came from the
> subscribtion only webswite--HSR Updates--also put
> out by Progressive Railroading.
> Joe


A lot of Amtrak capital goes into basic expenditures for the Northeast Corridor to keep it in a state of good repair, likely including capital maintenance. It doesn't necessarily show up as a new, sexy project like a new car order or a new piece of track.

No kiddin' that stetch always need to stay in great shape and it's slowly payin' off on that! I for one am still waitin' to see if they're gonna start workin' on these proposals that got done this past summer (Pioneer restoration and the North Coast Hiawatha!) I'm still in the same position since Gunn left, and I want to change for the better, but so far it's been baby steps, well if it stays that way, fine with me, but they need to get better, not worse!

floridajoe2001 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> House/Senate Conferees finally agreed on the 2010
> Amtrak Budget and will now send it to the
> President for signature. Here is what Amtrak
> will get:
>
> TOTAL FUNDING; AMTRAK ASKED FOR $1.84B ($303M
> more than last year) - THEY GOT $1.58B ($90M more
> than last year - a 19% increase.)

Last year didn't Amtrak get reauthorized for the next five years at around $2.5 billion a year? Now we can see the difference between appropriation and authorization. Supposedly the stimulus funds for Amtrak were to be in addition to the yearly allocation. Apparently this is not so, at least in regards to the authorized amount. Then again it does not appear that Amtrak asked for the full amount allowable under the authorization.

The additional high-speed money is great news. I hope it does not get spread too thinly.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/12/09 03:54 by ts1457.

floridajoe2001 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> TOTAL FUNDING; AMTRAK ASKED FOR $1.84B ($303M
> more than last year) - THEY GOT $1.58B ($90M more
> than last year - a 19% increase.)

19% ??? I calculate 6%. The 19% appears to be the increase that they asked for, but did not get the full amount.

To: ts1457 According to Amtrak's website, for last year (2009) they received $1.325B. This year (2010) they will receive $1.58B. This is a 19.2% increase. (of course, Pres. Obama still has to sign off on the 2010 number, but I feel sure he will.

I think Amtrak has done quite well! I know my paycheck hasn't gone up 19%

Joe

floridajoe2001 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> To: ts1457 According to Amtrak's website, for
> last year (2009) they received $1.325B. This year
> (2010) they will receive $1.58B. This is a 19.2%
> increase. (of course, Pres. Obama still has to
> sign off on the 2010 number, but I feel sure he
> will.
>
> I think Amtrak has done quite well! I know my
> paycheck hasn't gone up 19%
>
> Joe

I was basing it on your statement:

"THEY GOT $1.58B ($90M more than last year - a 19% increase."

$1.58B - $90M = $1.49B, right? I can't get the correct answer from bad numbers.

ts1457: Sorry if I confused you. I probably should have disregarded what they "asked for" altogether and just shown comparative numbers showing what they actually got last year vs. what they will get this year--which is our good news 19% increase.

I get confused also. You have to have the patience of Jobe to follow these Government funding procedures. And now comes the equally frustrating process of spending it.

Joe

floridajoe2001 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ts1457: Sorry if I confused you. I probably
> should have disregarded what they "asked for"
> altogether and just shown comparative numbers
> showing what they actually got last year vs. what
> they will get this year--which is our good news
> 19% increase.
>
> I get confused also. You have to have the patience
> of Jobe to follow these Government funding
> procedures. And now comes the equally frustrating
> process of spending it.
>
> Joe

Agreed. And I think we agree on the high speed money, too.

When Bush sign the bill last year Amtrak was going to get 1.8 Billion Dollars for the next 5 years not 1.5 Billion dollars. That Congress for you Messed up Amtrak for 300 Million short of 1.8 Billion.

railcity Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> When Bush sign the bill last year Amtrak was going
> to get 1.8 Billion Dollars for the next 5 years
> not 1.5 Billion dollars. That Congress for you
> Messed up Amtrak for 300 Million short of 1.8
> Billion.

Authorizing the funds, which is what Congress has done here, is one thing. Actually appropriating the funds, which is done by Congress, too, is another.

Spending the money, which is done by the Executive branch, is a third, different thing. Getting all three to line up is not easily done.

Yep, and that's why for years until the last few, Amtrak has always gotten short changed!