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Archive -- Rail Passengers Webinar Series: A Tale of Two Rail Systems
Date
Wednesday, November 17, 2021 Wednesday, November 17, 2021
Location
Zoom Meeting
A Tale of Two Rail Systems: Exploring the Near-Term Crisis in Operations and the Long-Term Potential of Capital Expansion
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With the passage of the Investment in Infrastructure and Jobs Act (IIJA), people across the U.S. are wondering what this generational investment in transportation really means for American passengers.
Simultaneously, Amtrak is finally publicly acknowledging something it’s been grappling with internally for several months: last year’s furloughs and buyouts, combined with a tight U.S. labor market, means there aren’t enough workers to run the trains we have now. There is also concern that more employees may be leaving the railroad over the next few months.
Join us on at 2pm eastern on November 17th as Rail Passengers President & CEO Jim Mathews and VP of Government Affairs & Policy Sean Jeans-Gail will be joined by OneRail Coalition Director Devon Barnhart to explore these two opposing trends:
- We will explain what rail and transit provisions made the cut in the final version of the IIJA and what's next for the reconciliation bill, while looking ahead at the tangible benefits they will produce for America’s rail passengers—in new equipment, new frequencies, and new corridors.
- We’ll look also at the potential for near-term service disruptions, ways to minimize those disruptions, steps Amtrak is currently taking to regenerate its workforce, and the projected timeline for the full restoration of pre-pandemic service levels.
(Rail Passengers is a member of OneRail)
"On behalf of Amtrak’s onboard service staff, I want to thank the Rail Passengers Association for honoring their hard work with this award. The past couple years have indeed been difficult for Amtrak onboard service staff – coping with furloughs and job insecurity, adapting to changing protocols and services, not to mention the unfortunate events such as a tragic derailment and a fatal shooting. Nevertheless, our dedicated members at Amtrak have handled these hurdles with the care, attention and diligence for which they’re known. We thank Rail Passengers for their acknowledgement of our members’ hard work and, as always, look forward to seeing you on the rails."
Arthur Maratea, TCU/IAM National President
December 21, 2021, on the Association awarding its 2021 Golden Spike Award to the Frontline Amtrak Employees.