May 15, 2008 6:30 am US/Eastern
Bill Would Open Door To Private, High-Speed Rail
WASHINGTON (AP) ―
Some members of Congress want to see private companies develop a high-speed rail link between New York and Washington.
The proposal is part of legislation on long-term funding for Amtrak that was introduced last week.
But Amtrak's chief executive, Alex Kummant, says the tens of billions of dollars that would be needed for such a project could be better spent elsewhere.
He says building a rail link between Washington and Atlanta and improving service in the Midwest and other regions would be a better use of the money.
Amtrak already has some trains that make the Washington-New York trip in two-and-a-half hours. The bill in Congress would ask private companies for proposals for a service that would make the trip in under two hours.
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