Listening to the President on Transportation

Thesewords point in a new direction for transportation policy, one thatbodes well for energy security and climatic stability. We stand readyto work with the President to flesh out the vision, and hope it willinclude bold proposals like the National Association of Railroad Passenger's map of new intercity rail lines,construction of which would double the nation's passenger rail capacityand put the mileage almost on par with our world-class 47,000-mileInterstate Highway System.

Boardmansaid in an interview that shortly after leaving the top spot at theFederal Railroad Administration last Thanksgiving to take over Amtrak,he discovered that the passenger rail system is in worse shape than hethought, and that some people in Amtrak headquarters in Washington are,in effect, burnout cases. He would not be specific about numbers,saying he has still made no final decisions about how many people willhave to leave because they cannot make the transition from survival togrowth.

"There are a whole host of people here who don’tknow whether to believe," he said. "People are going to have to get onthe train. We will make some judgments very soon."