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 2005-05-11 monographic deposited born digital 19 p. GA 1.13:GAO-05-698T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-698T P0b002ee180388566 f:d05698t DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-698T machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-698T GAO-05-698T Contract disputes Contract performance Federal aid to railroads Financial management General management reviews Late payments Litigation Performance measures Program management Railroad industry Amtrak Acela Program Amtrak Northeast High-Speed Rail Improvement Project Testimony A23939 In 1996, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) executed contracts to build high-speed trainsets (a combination of locomotives and passenger cars) as part of the Northeast High Speed Rail Improvement Project. Since that time, Amtrak has experienced multiple challenges related to this program, including recently removing all trains from service due to brake problems. Amtrak has struggled since its inception to earn sufficient revenues and depends heavily on federal subsidies to remain solvent. The April 2005 action to remove the Acela trainsets--Amtrak's biggest revenue source--from service has only exacerbated problems by putting increased pressure on Amtrak's ridership and revenue levels. This testimony is based on GAO's past work on Amtrak and focuses on (1) background on problems related to the development of the Acela program, (2) summary of issues related to lawsuits between Amtrak and the train manufacturers and the related settlement, (3) key challenges associated with the settlement, and (4) initial observations on possible challenges in Amtrak managing large-scale projects. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-698T/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-698T.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-698T/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-698T.pdf GAO-05-698T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-698T Testimony GAO-05-698T; Amtrak: Acela's Continued Problems Underscore the Importance of Meeting Broader Challenges in Managing Large-Scale Projects; Contract disputes Contract performance Federal aid to railroads Financial management General management reviews Late payments Litigation Performance measures Program management Railroad industry Amtrak Acela Program Amtrak Northeast High-Speed Rail Improvement Project