[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 87 (Thursday, May 6, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24446-24447]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-11331]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION


Amtrak Reform Council; Notice of Seminar

AGENCY: Amtrak Reform Council.

ACTION: Notice seminar.

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SUMMARY: As provided in Section 203 of the Amtrak Reform and 
Accountability Act of 1997, the Amtrak Reform Council (ARC) gives 
notice of a seminar on Amtrak. The seminar will deal with how and why 
Amtrak was established, Amtrak's current status and future plans. For 
comparative purposes, the program will also include international 
performance statistics and examples of how other countries operate and 
finance their intercity passenger trains. Amtrak and the U.S. 
Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics will 
open the seminar with a statistical profile of passenger travel in the 
U.S. In addition, the Council has invited speakers from the U.S. 
railroad industry, rail labor organizations, the World Bank, the 
consulting industry, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and 
Development.

DATES: The seminar is scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, 
May 18, 1999.

ADDRESSES: The seminar will be held at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in 
Crystal City, 1999 Jefferson Davis Highway, Alexandria, VA (703-413-
5500). The seminar is open to the public on a first-come, first-serve 
basis. Persons in need of special arrangements should contact the 
person listed below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Deirdre O'Sullivan, Amtrak Reform 
Council, Room 7105, JM-ARC, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 
20590, or by telephone at (202) 366-0591; FAX: 202-493-2061.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The ARC was created by the Amtrak Reform and 
Accountability Act of 1997 (ARAA), as an independent commission, to 
evaluate Amtrak's performance and to make recommendations to Amtrak for 
achieving further cost containment, productivity improvements, and 
financial reforms. In addition, the ARAA requires: that the ARC monitor 
cost savings resulting from work rules established under new agreements 
between Amtrak and its labor unions; that the ARC provide an annual 
report to Congress that includes an assessment of Amtrak's progress on 
the resolution of productivity issues; and that after two years the ARC 
has the authority to determine whether Amtrak can meet certain 
financial goals specified under

[[Page 24447]]

the ARAA and, if not, to notify the President and the Congress.
    The ARAA provides that the ARC consist of eleven members, including 
the Secretary of Transportation and ten others nominated by the 
President or Congressional leaders. Each member is to serve a five year 
term.

    Issued in Washington, D.C. April 29, 1999.
Thomas A. Till,
Executive Director.
[FR Doc. 99-11331 Filed 5-5-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P