Amtrak says he’s looking forward to working with Biden
Amtrak’s President and CEO Bill Flynn said he looks forward to working with President-elect Joe Biden, who has traveled an estimated two million miles during 8,200 round trips on the railroad during his commutes between Washington and Delaware.
“Amtrak looks forward to working with President-elect Biden and Congress. To get the economy moving and help Amtrak and our employees through this unprecedented situation, Congress must act now on pandemic relief and economic stimulus funding which enables Amtrak to recall furloughed employees, restore service frequency on long-distance and state-supported routes, and make investments that will advance critical capital projects such as bridges and tunnels on the Northeast Corridor and new equipment, infrastructure improvements and major station upgrades throughout our network,” Flynn said in a statement.
He added: “As we look to the future, expanded Amtrak service is essential to decarbonizing our transportation network, which generates roughly 28% of the U.S. annual carbon emissions. With cars and trucks responsible for nearly 82% of those emissions, we need passenger rail alternatives throughout the nation. As we enter our 50th year of service, we stand ready to play an important role in helping our nation recover and grow for the future.”
Some background: After losing his wife and daughter in a car accident in 1972, Biden rode the rails to and from Washington nearly every day to help raise his sons, Hunter and Beau. He continued the practice even over his years as vice president, becoming the rail system’s biggest proponent on Capitol Hill.
CNN
