[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 135 (Thursday, September 26, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11425-S11426]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS

  The following petitions and memorials were laid before the Senate and 
were referred or ordered to lie on the table as indicated:


[[Page S11426]]


       POM-676. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; to the 
     Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
       ``Whereas, there has been strong indication that Amtrak is 
     seriously considering the elimination of trains 448 and 449, 
     the New England States section of its Lake Shore limited 
     passenger train operating between Boston, Massachusetts and 
     Albany, New York; and
       ``Whereas, this train provides the only intercity rail 
     passenger service to the city of Pittsfield and the County of 
     Berkshire and interconnects this region to the Amtrak 
     national hub at Chicago, Illinois and there is no commercial 
     airline passenger service in Pittsfield, no interstate 
     highway running through the city or a viable connection to a 
     distant one, and extremely limited intercity bus service in 
     Pittsfield or Berkshire County since the elimination of 
     Greyhound Lines service several years ago; and
       ``Whereas, several thousand passengers per year use this 
     service Amtrak provides both arriving and departing this city 
     each year and over \1/3\ million passengers per year use this 
     train traveling to and from New England; and
       ``Whereas, the United States Postal Service uses this train 
     to transport substantial amounts of mail generating healthy 
     revenues for Amtrak that covers a large portion of the 
     operating expenses of this train; and
       ``Whereas, this train provides needed transportation for 
     persons from this area who have no other means of mobility 
     and provides transportation to this area for persons arriving 
     here for business, personal and tourism reasons it generates 
     needed income for many businesses in the area: Therefore be 
     it
       ``Resolved, That the Massachusetts House of Representatives 
     opposes any discontinuance of this above mentioned rail 
     passenger train service after having made substantial capital 
     investments for Amtrak in improving the local rail passenger 
     station over the last fifteen years and urges Amtrak to 
     continue operating trains 448 and 449 making cost savings in 
     the operation of the trains rather than eliminating them; and 
     be it further
       ``Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be forwarded 
     by the Clerk of the House of Representatives to the United 
     States Congress.''

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