Final Push to Avert Service Cuts to Amtrak and Public Transit

America’s trains need your help. Here’s what you can do.

Amtrak and public transit are facing a financial crisis. Passengers need to keep the pressure on Congress to pass an emergency relief bill, including $5 billion for Amtrak and $32 billion for transit.

Write

Use our action page to send an email to your members of Congress.

Call

Follow-up with a call using our phone script.

Share

Use our advocacy toolkit to magnify our message through social media.

Give

Help us save passenger rail by making a donation today.

We've entered the final stretch of legislative work ahead of the October 1st deadline for a coronavirus relief package for America’s intercity rail network and public transit systems. With operators struggling to keep the trains running during the pandemic, these essential services are rushing towards a financial cliff.

This is our last opportunity to get Congress to pass a coronavirus relief package for trains. If we succeed, we preserve daily service across Amtrak’s National Network and keep transit running for our nation’s essential workers. Failure to act by Congress could result in dire consequences for the U.S. transportation system—including the elimination of an unknown number of State-supported and long-distance routes, and deep cuts to public transit and commuter rail.

Our members have already delivered almost 15,000 messages to hundreds of Senators and Representatives in our campaign to preserve service. We’re going to need to redouble our efforts to ensure that a passenger rail bailout is part of any final deal.

[This page will serve as a campaign headquarters for the month of September, so be sure to bookmark and check back often.]

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Briefing Room

Rail Passengers’ Jim Mathews testifies before Congressional hearing on Amtrak's response to COVID-19:

House T&I Subcommittee Hearing Coverage:

Amtrak CEO: $4.9 billion needed to avoid cuts to long-distance trains, workforce, Trains

Amtrak Chief Pleads for Nearly $5 Billion to Survive Pandemic, New York Times

Amtrak asks for $4.9 billion to stay afloat, Roll Call

In congressional grilling, Amtrak chief says railroad needs nearly $5 billion in federal aid, Washington Post

Other Coverage

‘Not Unlike the Postal Service’: Advocates Want Amtrak to Prioritize Service Over Profit: The New York Times published an article on the battle lines being drawn between advocates and Amtrak management over profitability. It features our own Jim Mathews, who explained that Amtrak “is a service… The objective is not profit; the objective is to serve all the communities.