Senator Udall Asks Amtrak to Make Commitments on the Southwest Chief

Thank you, chairman soon and thank you running the ranking member Nelson for, of convenience hearing positive train control your technology is an important safety measure, both for passengers and for employees of the trains. Mister of the stick in previous hearings and programs track has stated and this is a quote and tracks goal is to continue to operate all of our services over all of our current roots come January one 20 19 that's the end of The quote I'd like you to clarify that means continuing rail service will amtrak commit publicly to stop pursuing the proposal of replacing the train with buses for the southwest cheap for fiscal year. 20 19 we're. Well aware of the senate's position as well as the directive that is in the Senate version of the two thousand and 19 appropriations at we plan on running the southwest chief Aziz to fiscal year two thousand 19 and we wait uh We await this the congress's ugh dealing with the southwest chief issue during conference, as well as in the final spending. You know. Thank you very much for that commitment and I think it will make many of the senators are over here at the senator moran and senator of gardener we've worked in a bipartisan way to keep this going. We intended to obviously go well beyond 20 19 but I reiterate the need for amtrak to work with the communities impacted to create a real plan for the future of the southwest chief and track leadership Um has repeatedly emphasize the need for a significant amount of capital investment for this round and so it would be particularly short sided to walk away from the 16 million dollar tiger Grant recently awarded to rehabilitate tracks in Southeast. Colorado and light of your stated commitment to continue rail service between dodge city Kansas and albuquerque. Does plan on releasing the three million dollar match in order that the 16 million dollar tiger Grant intended to make the route safer can be released and, if so, win This point we will we're we're committed to continue to work with the stakeholders and to try to find successful resolution and that means you're release the three million dollar match amtrak will release that it means we'll continue to have discussion at this point and try to understand the issues well, you're, not is ask you to answer the question. I mean do you are you making uh yea commitment to release the three million dollar match in order that the 16 million dollar tiger Grant can also Will be released what I'm committing to is to continue to have this guy okay. Well, I think you're gonna hear more about that from other senators here