“Our ridership has grown more than 36 percent since 2000, and I expect that trend to continue and, if gas prices continue to rise, to accelerate. Our only restriction will be the available capacity,” Amtrak President Joe Boardman told a House Appropriations committee that was considering Amtrak’s 2012 budget request.
Amtrak is seeking $2.2 billion for 2012.
President Obama has proposed putting Amtrak’s funding under the Federal Railroad Administration instead of Congress.
The story was corrected at 5:04 p.m. from an earlier version.