Amtrak operations funding cut 17%

Amtrak will receive $64 million less in federal funding this fiscal year, according to an appropriations bill signed by President Obama in November.

Included in the 2012 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development funding bill, Amtrak will receive about $1.42 billion. The fiscal year officially began Oct. 1, but Congress agreed to extend 2011 funding until a final agreement could be reached for this fiscal year.

Included in the package is $466 million for operations, a 17 percent drop from last year, and $952 million for capital improvements and debt service, about 3 percent more than last year.

There was talk in the House about eliminating federal funding for 26 state-supported Amtrak routes, but in the end Congress agreed to fund the 150 million regional passenger trains that serve 9 million passengers a year. Congress did eliminate funding for high-speed rail systems. The bill also includes some policy reforms for Amtrak, such as limiting overtime payments to Amtrak workers.

Locally, Amtrak's Empire Builder provides regional rail service across the High Line with stops at East Glacier, Essex, West Glacier and Whitefish. The East Glacier depot saw 17,500 passengers in 2010, up from 10,000 in 2009; the West Glacier depot saw 6,000 passengers in 2010, up from 5,000; and the Whitefish depot saw a steady 65,000 passengers for both years.