Amtrak Discusses Pinch From Sequester Cuts
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Amtrak is feeling the pinch from the automatic spending cuts that went into effect last Friday.
At a Congressional hearing Tuesday, Amtrak President and CEO Joe Boardman said those cuts, along with costs associated with Hurricane Sandy, put a $37 million strain on his budget.
He added, though, that service along the heavily-traveled northeast corridor will not be impacted at the moment.
"As long as this doesn't go on for a long period of time, we're going to get through without any service cuts," Boardman said. "It's anathema for Amtrak to start service cuts because it becomes a double-edged sword. We lose the revenues we're receiving, and we lose the opportunity for continuing service."
Amtrak is calling on the federal government to invest more in upgrading infrastructure along the entire northeast corridor, a move officials said will help it sell more tickets.