Private companies interested in Amtrak

At least a dozen companies have expressed interest in running parts of Amtrak if Congress decides to end the railway's monopoly, a transportation consultant said Thursday during a hearing on Amtrak's future. William Rennicke, a transport operator consultant, said he recently drafted a blueprint for possible private participation in U.S. passenger rail service and distributed it to major transportation companies, 10 to 12 of which responded within 48 hours to express interest, reported the Associated Press. The Paris transit authority, RATP; France's Alstom Ltd.; and Britain's Great North Eastern Railway were among the private companies interested in taking over some of Amtrak's services. Several witnesses at Thursday's hearing supported some form of private participation in passenger rail, said the AP.