Subcommittee approves $1.9 billion for Amtrak

A House subcommittee approved legislation that would authorize $1.2 billion for Amtrak in Fiscal Year 2003 and an additional $775 million for safety and security upgrades. The proposal, if approved by Congress and President Bush, gives Amtrak the amount requested to continue operations without any disruptions in service for the coming year. A subsection of the bill requires the railway, scheduled to receive 50% of the funds on October 1, to submit periodic assessments, business plans and a capital spending plan to the government. "These evaluations will provide this committee with the crucial financial snapshot of Amtrak that we will need next year when we address Amtrak's future," said U.S. Rep. Don Young (R-AK), who co-authored the bill with U.S. Rep. Jack Quinn (R-NY). The subcommittee also authorized an additional bill that would provide $59 billion for high-speed rail and rail infrastructure projects.