United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2003-04-30 monographic deposited born digital 33 p. GA 1.13:GAO-03-712T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-712T P0b002ee1803a3937 f:d03712t DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-712T machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-712T GAO-03-712T Federal aid for transportation Federal aid to railroads Federal funds Investments Railroad transportation operations Testimony A06770 The Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970 created Amtrak to provide intercity passenger rail service because existing railroads found such service unprofitable. Amtrak operates a 22,000-mile network, primarily over freight railroad tracks, providing service to 46 states and the District of Columbia. Most of Amtrak's passengers travel on the Northeast Corridor, which runs between Boston, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C. On some portions of the Corridor, Amtrak provides high-speed rail service (up to 150 miles per hour). Since its inception, Amtrak has struggled to earn revenues and run an efficient operation. Recent years have seen Amtrak continue to struggle financially. In February 2003, Amtrak reported that it would need several billion dollars from the federal government over the next few years to sustain operations. However, some have indicated that there needs to be a fundamental reassessment of how intercity passenger rail is structured and financed. Options raise questions about whether or not Amtrak should be purely an operating company, whether competition should be introduced for providing service, and if states should assume a greater financial role in the services that are provided. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-712T/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-712T.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-712T/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-712T.pdf GAO-03-712T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-712T Testimony GAO-03-712T; Intercity Passenger Rail: Issues for Consideration in Developing an Intercity Passenger Rail Policy; Federal aid for transportation Federal aid to railroads Federal funds Investments Railroad transportation operations Public Law 108-7