[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 52 (Thursday, May 4, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S4044]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       35TH ANNIVERSARY OF AMTRAK

  Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I rise today to commemorate the 35th 
anniversary of Amtrak. When the first Amtrak Clocker train left New 
York, bound for New Jersey and Philadelphia, on May 1, 1971, it ushered 
in a new era of passenger rail travel in the United States. Millions of 
passengers from every corner of America can attest to the fact that 
Amtrak remains a vital part of our nationwide transportation network, 
and I firmly believe it's imperative that we not just preserve our 
nation's passenger rail system, but also develop it.
  Amtrak's transformation from a tiny initiative with only 25 workers 
and widespread expectations of failure, to a successful national 
corporation with 19,700 employees in nearly every state, is one of the 
great success stories I've witnessed during my many years in the 
Senate. Every day approximately 68,000 travelers rely on Amtrak as an 
effective alternative to the hassles and delays of air travel, and the 
increasingly prohibitive gas costs and traffic congestion associated 
with highway travel.
  Amtrak remains enormously important to my home State of New Jersey. 
Last year, for instance, over 3.4 million people boarded or exited an 
Amtrak train at the six rail stations in New Jersey, and nearly 1,700 
New Jersey residents worked for Amtrak during this same time period. 
Approximately 110 Amtrak trains travel through my home State every day; 
this service, combined with the many rail lines that New Jersey 
Transit, SEPTA, PATH, and PATCO operate, truly makes New Jersey a 
national leader in passenger rail. I am immensely proud of this 
distinction--as all New Jerseyans are--and it would not be possible 
without Amtrak. The benefits of such a system are immense; without 
rails, our State would suffocate under extreme highway and airport 
traffic congestion. On Amtrak's Northeast Corridor service between 
Washington, DC, and Boston, MA, which stops at several points in New 
Jersey, the trains carry as many people as 75,000 fully loaded Boeing 
757 jets each year. By contrast, there are only 102 flights between 
downtown Washington, DC, and the three New York City-area airports on 
an average weekday.
  On December 11, 2000, the first Acela Express service began on the 
Northeast Corridor. As one of the leading proponents of high-speed rail 
in the Congress, it has been a marvel to see the success of this train 
and its example of how high-speed rail can be successful in our 
country. I am a frequent rider of the Acela Express between New Jersey 
and Washington, and I appreciate the service for the same reasons that 
many others do: it is efficient, it is comfortable, it is cost-
effective, and it is convenient. Most tellingly, the Acela Express's 
operations do not require a subsidy, and I expect its ridership to 
continue to grow as others discover the advantages of this remarkable 
train.
  Mr. President, it is unfortunate that despite the great successes of 
Amtrak, it is necessary for the many defenders of the system myself 
included to fight for its survival at every turn. There are many within 
the Bush administration--and within the House and Senate--who would 
like nothing better than to see Amtrak wither and die, stranding 
millions of travelers in the process. We cannot let this happen, and as 
long as I am a member of the Senate, I will not let this happen. I will 
continue to work with a diverse set of colleagues on both sides of the 
aisle who realize the advantages of providing options for travelers and 
having a balanced national transportation system.
  In short, Mr. President, I salute Amtrak for its achievements, and I 
extend the railroad and its employees, who are the backbone of the 
railroad's operation, warmest wishes for continued success through the 
next 35 years.

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