Amtrak's Grand Plans for Its Northeast Line
Amtrak hopes for federal aid to upgrade its one moneymaking line
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Every year, Amtrak begs Congress for money. The government-owned railroad can’t keep its trains running without more than $1 billion in subsidies, which never fails to spark grumbling from lawmakers who would like to see the rail line privatized.
This year, Amtrak is trying a new negotiating tactic: It’s saying it needs hundreds of billions more. The railroad is proposing a renovation of Washington’s Union Station that would cost at least $6.5 billion, doubling train capacity and carving out space for bullet trains that don’t yet exist. Other grand plans include a three-decade, $151 billion project to provide 220-mile-per-hour train service between Washington and Boston.