Train derailment highlights amtrak’s infrastructure needs


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Amtrak was formed in the 1970s out of the ashes of several bankrupt rail lines, including the Penn Central. Its has been criticized for poor service, and shaky finances, but its safety


record has been good. More than 31 million passengers rode Amtrak in fiscal year 2013, the last for which figures are available. In the Northeast Corridor, more than 2,000 trains operate


daily on Amtrak’s rails, between commuter lines and Amtrak trains. And far more passengers ride Amtrak between Washington, New York and Boston than fly. Amtrak is really three different


systems, said Brookings Institution transportation expert Robert Puentes: “the Northeast Corridor, which is the most efficient and effective of the whole network, the short-distance


corridors which generally operate within one state, and the long-distance routes which literally span the continental United States.” READ THIS STORY FOR FREE To continue reading, sign up


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