Amtrak seeks 40 Acela coach cars in FY12

In a move Monday aimed partially at countering talk of cost-cutting, Amtrak said it hopes to purchase 40 Acela Express coach cars in fiscal year 2012 for its high speed service on the Northeast Corridor. The proposal is part of Amtrak’s $2.22 billion budget request submitted to Congress.

Amtrak’s plan, outlined in recent months, is to add two additional coaches to each of its existing 20 Acela train sets, increasing seating capacity by 130 per train. This would also require modifications to high speed rail maintenance facilities in Washington, New York, and Boston.

“Investing in Amtrak is investing in America’s transportation future and is an important component of any serious plan to reduce our dependence on foreign oil,” said President and CEO Joe Boardman. “It is necessary to balance the real concern over federal spending with the ongoing need to invest in the nation’s intercity passenger rail network to meet growing demand, support economic recovery and fuel the next generation of growth.”

Amtrak’s overall FY12 request includes $1.285 billion for capital investments to maintain and improve tracks, equipment, and other infrastructure, including the NEC; $616 million to support the operations; and $271 million for debt service. Another $50 million is sought for design and preliminary engineering work on the Gateway Project, announced last week, to build two new tunnels into Manhattan and expand NEC capacity at New York-Penn Station.

Amtrak said it covers 85% of its operating costs with ticket sales and other revenue. That’s comparable or better than other national passenger rail services, including numerous services regarded by transport experts as models of efficiency. Amtrak also said it has worked strategically to successfully cut its debt in half and improve its ontime performance.