Chamber chief extols Amtrak before Congress

For the Philadelphia area to be competitive and thrive, Congress must make "a real commitment" to improving Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, former Pennsylvania Gov. Mark Schweiker testified in Washington yesterday.

Schweiker urged Congress to create "dedicated, stable federal funding for long-term improvements and proper maintenance" of rail service between Boston and Washington, through Philadelphia.

Schweiker, president of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, made the remarks at a hearing of the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials.

The panel is drafting legislation to reauthorize and finance Amtrak, the national railroad created by the federal government in 1971 to relieve freight railroads of money-losing passenger service.

"When it comes to attracting new businesses and a highly skilled workforce," Schweiker testified, "our region's easy access by train to the nation's financial capital in New York and its political capital in Washington is one of our primary competitive advantages."

Amtrak's infrastructure, he added, is also vital to daily commuters - half of SEPTA trains and 60 percent of New Jersey Transit trains depend on Amtrak rail and signal systems.