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Amtrak plans 'aggressive' expansion in 2012; electronic locomotives on the way
The national passenger rail service, better known as Amtrak, said Wednesday that it would be "aggressive" in efforts to improve and expand this year with "demand for intercity passenger rail service on the rise as demonstrated by yet another year of record ridership."
Amtrak announced last year that it had more than 30 million passengers, which put it on track to have more riders than it had in any of its previous 40 years of operation. Democrats and advocates of government spending on rail projects used the numbers to argue against a Republican plan to privatize some of Amtrak's most profitable service.
Having thwarted that plan by the end of 2011, the agency announced Wednesday its goals to focus on growth in 2012. Among the proposals Amtrak said were coming down the line are 70 electric locomotives and 130 new long-distance rail cars and electronic ticketing on all trains.
That criticism notwithstanding, Amtrak CEO Joseph Boardman said the agency "is building the equipment, infrastructure and organization needed to ensure our strong growth continues into the future.
“We are investing in projects critical for enhancing the passenger experience, essential for supporting our national network of services and vital for the future of America’s Railroad,” he said in a statement.
Boardman said Amtrak's plans for 2012 included upgrading tracks the agency owns in the Northeast rail corridor, which had been the target of the Republican privatization efforts. He said the agency would also work on "bridges and other infrastructure" and seek to expand its existing Acela high-speed rail service.
The agency will also attempt to lay the groundwork for its "gateway program" to increase the capacity of railways leading into New York City, Boardman added.
