National Association of Railroad Passengers Opposes Proposed Amtrak Budget Cuts
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- Created: 18 March 2017 18 March 2017
The recently released Trump budget proposal would eliminate Amtrak's long-distance train service as well as significantly reducing other rail funding. NARP's latest bulletin takes this on by pointing out that more the 200 communities would lose this service and tens of thousands of jobs would be lost.
This is a perennial Republican proposal that has regularly lost in the past Congresses, but with the GOP controlling both houses of Congress as well as the White House, it's time for all passenger rail interests to contact their Washington delegation to point out the folly of this proposal.
Good News: The Downeaster Set a Ridership Record for the Month of January!
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- Created: 08 March 2017 08 March 2017
January & February are normally lean months for Downeaster ridership, so it was a pleasant surprise to learn that "America's Favorite Train" set a January record. NNEPRA Executive Director Patricia Quinn reported the numbers at 37,915 as compared to 30,979 for January of 2016.
February is expected to set a new record as well (Amtrak has yet to release those numbers). Attendees to the Patriots parade in Boston on February 6th packed the trains - an extra coach was even added to one of the trainsets.Congratulations to the NNEPRA staff, the Amtrak crews and the dedicated passengers who chose to "ride the rails" rather than fight traffic and take out a second mortgage for parking.
Here's the full Board Packet that was distributed at the meeting.
TrainRiders/NE Board Elects First Executive Director
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- Created: 18 January 2017 18 January 2017
PRESS RELEASE: TrainRiders Northeast, the non-profit, volunteer, rail advocacy organization founded in 1989 announced today that it has hired its first ever Executive Director, George O’Keefe, Jr., of Winthrop. O’Keefe is currently a Master’s Degree candidate in the Policy, Planning, and Management Program, with a concentration in Organizational Leadership and Management, at the Muskie School of Public Service.
O’Keefe will work alongside TrainRiders’ longtime Chairman and co-founder Wayne E. Davis to help the organization expand its mission of bringing “modern and efficient” passenger rail service to the Northeast. “A balanced transportation system is what we need in order to provide for sustainable economic opportunities that will last for generations,” said O’Keefe.
Read more: TrainRiders/NE Board Elects First Executive Director