Date: 1981-11-18
Speaker: ROBERT C. BYRD (democrat)
Chamber: S

Mr. President. in the first Place the Senator assumes a reduction In the overall amount of $735 million. We discussed this at some length during the consideration of the transportation appropriation agencies bill at which time I Indicated that Mr. Boyd. the president of Amtrak. had stated to me in my office that If the $735 million were appropriated. If State and local taxes were waived. the operation of the Cardinal would not impinge upon the operation of any other train. Mr. President. this matter has been argued and decided upon on a number of occasionsin the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation. In the full Senate Appropriations Colnmittee. here on the Senate floor. and in conference with the House of Representatives. The statement of the managers on the 1982 Department of Transportation and related agencies appropriations bill reads as follows: The managersare encouraged by the Improved ridership ont this train in the past year and believe that further Improvement is clearly possible. Amtrak is directed to Improve local advertising and reservations service. along with the route of the Cardinal. Also the managers expect Amtrak to report before April 1. 1982 to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees on the feasibility of increasing ridership on the Cardinal through route changes. fare restructuring. and service Imiprovemients. In particular. this report should comment on the practicality of routing the Cardinal through Indianapolis. Indiana. So the conferees in both houses have given careful study to this matter and they have directed Amtrak to take actions to increase the ridership on the Cardinal through various and sundry means. And I will repeat what I said during the debate on the transportation appropriations bill. The Cardinal has met the criteria as far as passenger miles per train mile in the month of June and In the month of July. It exceeded that figure during both months. the figure being 150 PMPT. Irv June the figure was 150.7. and In July the figure was 164.7. The other performance criterion for long distance trains Is a 10.1 cents avoidable loss per passenger mile. The Cardinal has an avoidable loss per passenger mile of 9.1 cents. Mr. President. the language -in the Transportation appropriations bill reads as f oilows: Provided further. that notwithstanding any other provisions of law. the Corporation shall provide through rail passenger servIce between Washington. D.C. and Chicago via Cincinnati. That does not require that the Cardinal run 7 days a week. It does not require that the Cardinal run 6 days a week. It does not require that the Cardinal run 5 days a week. It just requires that the Corporation shall provide through rail passenger service between Washington. D.C.. and Chicago via Cincinnati. So this gives the Corporation the flex*bility that is needed to increase the ridership and to make whatever adjustments are necessary in the operation of the Cardinal. whether it be 3 days a week. 5 days a week. or daily. whichever may appear to be most feasible and appropriate in the iUght of the circumstances. So I hope that the Senate will vote down the amendment. The Senate has spoken on this previously. In closing. I want to thank Mr. PAcKWOOD for offering the amendment today so that the Senate may have an opportunity to debate the matter while I am present. I close by thanking the distinguished chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee. Mr. ANDREws. and by urging all Senators to vote down the amendment.