WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Amtrak chief executive William Flynn will tell Congress on Wednesday the U.S. passenger railroad needs up to $4.9 billion in government funding to avoid service and job cuts and address mounting losses.
Flynn’s written testimony before a U.S. House subcommittee says Amtrak now anticipates “needing up to $4.9 billion in funding to operate and invest in our network, support our partners, and address various congressional concerns like avoiding employee furloughs and maintaining daily long distance service.” Amtrak in May had asked for a further $1.475 billion bailout after getting $1 billion from Congress earlier this year. It typically receives $2 billion in annual government support.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
