Durbin says he’s committed to reauthorizing Amtrak services
From Illinois Business Journal news services
WASHINGTON, D.C. – With Congress preparing to consider legislation to reauthorize Amtrak, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., met today with representatives from the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission to discuss the continued growth of passenger rail service and what he said is the importance of robust federal support for the national transportation network.
“This year, Congress debates the future of our national transportation and infrastructure network, including Amtrak,” Durbin said. “As passenger rail continues to grow, a strong reauthorization bill that modernizes and expands our rail network is important for creating good-paying Illinois jobs and strengthening our state’s economy.
“I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress and stakeholders like the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission to produce a rail reauthorization bill that provides the necessary resources to upgrade our aging infrastructure and put America back to work.”
Durbin is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and co-chair of the High-Speed Rail Caucus.
Congress is expected to take up Amtrak and Rail Safety Reauthorization later this year. This bill will have a significant impact on Illinois, which has the second largest rail network in the country with more than 7,300 miles of railroad track.
