The report was critical of Amtrak for misapplying scarce
resources to fix sleeper cars rather than dilapidated
bridges, for example, and called on Congress to provide
“clear direction for Amtrak’s operating and capital
investment priorities as well as federal funding levels
in reauthorization legislation.”
That direction should include requirements to focus
development on passenger corridors that make economic
sense, to decrease funding and eliminate certain
operations, and increase funding for further development
or maintenance of the existing system, said the report.
It called on the Amtrak board of directors to “exert its
prerogatives and direct management to reduce its reliance
on operating subsidies and minimize further deferral of
critical capital investment,” and said management should
look forward to federal funding at or below current levels
for fiscal 2005 to avoid funding shortfalls.
The report said DoT should impose conditions designed to
strengthen financial accountability by requiring DoT to
approve detailed operating and capital plans for awarding
fiscal 2005 operating and capital grants if the board’s
actions are unsuccessful.
The full report is available here:
