The New York Times reports that the Amtrak Board has fired David Gunn. David Gunn is widely credited with turning Amtak around after years of decline in service.
The move hasn’t gone down well with Congress which was set to keep Amtrak solvent. The Senate recently voted authorize 93 to 6 to authorize $11.6 billion for Amtrak over the next six years.
The fear of many Amtrak supporters is that once Amtrak shuts down, national freight railroads within three months will rip out stations, platforms and other infrastructure necessary to restart passenger rail service.
This should be of special concern to Twin Cities rail passengers. The Empire Builder will likely be among the Amtrak lines to face extinction. With the Northwest bankruptcy and other air passenger carriers facing rising fuel costs, losing Amtrak could limit choices for travelers.
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