Amtrak ready with big plans for 2010

Amtrak says it is ready for an exciting 2010 with major projects and new initiatives that will benefit passengers, increase service, rebuild infrastructure, and put America's railroad at the center of intercity and high-speed passenger rail development and expansion.

"Amtrak
enters 2010 with a strong sense of optimism, enthusiasm and purpose," said President
and CEO Joseph Boardman. "We have an aggressive game plan to modernize, renew, and
grow America’s passenger railroad," he said, noting increasing ridership from
21.6 million in FY 2002 to 27.2 million in FY 2009, with an all-time record of
28.7 million in FY 2008.

He
explained that numerous projects and initiatives being undertaken in 2010
support goals established in Amtrak’s new Strategic Guidance including becoming
safer, greener and healthier and improving financial performance, customer
service, and meeting national needs.

In
particular, Amtrak is playing a major role in the development and expansion of intercity
and high-speed passenger rail. As America’s provider of intercity passenger
rail service and its only high-speed rail operator-operating trains at speeds
up to 150 mph every day- Amtrak has unmatched knowledge, experience and
expertise in the U.S. rail environment.

Boardman
added that Amtrak is partnering with 25 states in support of more than 100 projects
submitted for funding from the $8 billion made available by the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act for intercity and high-speed rail capital improvement
grants. An announcement from the U.S. Department of Transportation on which
projects have been selected is expected this winter.

During
2010, Amtrak also will undertake track and bridge construction projects, safety
and security enhancements and will release a plan to replace and expand its
locomotive and passenger railcar fleet, among many other projects and
initiatives.

In
2010, Amtrak will celebrate the 10th anniversary of America’s fastest train, the
Acela Express, which began operating along the Northeast Corridor in 2000 and
reaches speeds up to 150 mph. In addition, Amtrak will increase train speeds to
105 mph over a section of track it owns between Porter, Ind., and Kalamazoo,
Mich., which will benefit Blue Water and Wolverines service. Amtrak currently
operates nearly half of its more than 300 daily trains at speeds of 100 mph or
higher on their routes.

In
March, Amtrak will deploy WiFi technology on Acela Express and make it
available to every passenger initially free of charge. In late 2010, Amtrak
will complete a program to upgrade the interior of all Acela Express trainsets
to increase passenger comfort and amenities, including leather seating,
improved tray tables, and better outlets to power laptop computers, DVD players
and other electronic devices.

Many
major Amtrak infrastructure improvement projects funded in full, or in part, by
$1.3 billion in ARRA funds will be under construction in 2010. Some of these
projects include: replacement of the 102-year old movable bridge over the
Niantic River in Connecticut; modernization of transformers and other
electrical equipment used to power trains between Washington, D.C., and New
York; improvements to tracks and switches at Chicago Union Station; and
construction of new maintenance buildings for passenger railcar equipment in
Los Angeles, Calif., and Hialeah, Fla.

In
addition, ARRA funding is supporting: 
renovation of the station in Wilmington, Del.; expansion of the Auto
Train station in Sanford, Fla.; restoration of locomotives and passenger railcars
in Beech Grove, Ind., and Bear, Del.; improved emergency exits and fire
detection and suppression systems in New York tunnels; and enhanced
accessibility at more than 200 rail stations across the country.

Beyond
the ARRA-funded projects, Amtrak will spend $442 million as part of its annual FY
2010 engineering program. These projects include:  installation of more than 112,000 concrete crossties and
more than 49,000 wood crossties on the Northeast Corridor; construction of a
new air ventilation shaft for the New York tunnels; and repair to several
bridges in Michigan, Maryland, New York and New Jersey.

In
addition, Amtrak will complete the multi-year modernization of the catenary
wires on the Hell Gate Line in N.Y.; begin construction of upgrades to the
Seattle maintenance facility; and improve accessibility at stations in
Philadelphia, Pa., Baltimore, Md., Providence, R.I., and elsewhere.

Amtrak
is committed to an aggressive, self-imposed schedule to install Positive Train Control
by the end of 2012-three years ahead of a Congressional deadline for the rail industry-
on sections of Amtrak-owned tracks not already equipped with the sophisticated technology
capable of controlling train movements to prevent collisions. A significant
amount of design, engineering, and some installation work will occur this year
to advance the project.

Amtrak
is also implementing two industry-leading risk-reduction safety initiatives to complement
traditional rules-based compliance programs. The Safe-2-Safer program strengthens
the emphasis on safety within the corporate culture by promoting a more collaborative
working environment and ensures a higher reliability of safe behaviors at all
levels of the railroad. In addition, Amtrak intends to participate in a Federal
Railroad Administration-sponsored Close Call Reporting project under which
incidents that did not result in an accident or injury, but could have, can be
anonymously reported by employees so that safety improvements can be made as
appropriate.