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To our friends at Amtrak, December 16, 2010-

Because of a few edits to the page four story, as well as the funding information immediately below, I am resending the newsletter in the form our members now have it on-line and how the hard copy will appear. Have a wonderful holiday season!

As information, the omnibus FY 2011 funding bill under consideration in the Senate has a short list of programs where funding would differ from FY 2010 levels including a cut in high speed rail from $2.5 billion to the $1.0 billion level in both President Obama's budget request and the bill that Senate Appropriations approved July 22.

For Amtrak, however, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved $1.96 billion in July but the omnibus holds Amtrak to the 2010 level of $1.565 billion. The House-passed DOT appropriations bill gave Amtrak $1.766 billion, but the House's continuing resolution for the balance of the fiscal year (passed Dec. 8) also holds Amtrak to the 2010 level.

-Ross Capon, President & CEO, National Association of Railroad Passengers www.narprail.org<http://www.narprail.org> 202-408-8362, mobile 301-385-6438

Page one: U.S. DOT Redirects High-Speed Train Funds to Eager States; $1.195 Billion to be Spread to California, New York, Illinois, N. Carolina, Maine, others
--Trackwork Begins in Vermont; 410 Jobs Created, 360 in Construction

Page two: ARC Death Aftershocks including photo of elderly Portal Bridge whose vitally needed replacement is in limbo
--New Metrolink commuter car

Page three: Princeton Dinky Saved But...
--Rhode Island Airport Now Connected to Rail Network
--Photo of Boy Scouts at Raton, NM, and comments about prospective Boy Scout facility near Amtrak's Prince, WV, station

Page four: NARP Leaders Meet With Amtrak Top Mechanical Officers