On the Rails at the Bear Back Shop

After 35 Years, Amtrak's Future Uncertain
CBS News - USA
(AP) Last year, President Bush proposed no federal aid for Amtrak. Its highly touted high-speed train was sidelined for months with ...

: Amtrak at Thirty-Five: The Events, The Decisions, The Legacies
NewsReleaseWire.com (press release) - USA
In a forum here today, four analysts who have followed Amtrak for many years spoke in recognition of Amtrak's 35th anniversary. ...



Amtrak Marks 35 Years With Uncertain Future
FOX News - USA
WASHINGTON — Amtrak celebrates 35 years on Monday as critics call for the passenger railroad to be dismantled. A group of analysts ...


HISTORY and FACTS:

_Began service May 1, 1971, with 184 trains serving 314 stations.

_Today, Amtrak serves more than 500 stations in 46 states. Only Alaska, Hawaii, South Dakota and Wyoming have no Amtrak service.

_Took over the passenger operations of all but three railroads: the Rock Island Railroad, Southern Railway and Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad. All three ceased passenger service by 1984.

_Corporate name is National Railroad Passenger Corp. Popular name Amtrak is blending of words "American" and "track."

_Amtrak operates over more than 22,000 route miles. It owns 650 route miles, primarily between Boston and Washington, D.C., and in Michigan. In other parts of the country, Amtrak trains use tracks owned by freight railroads.