House Dem: Amtrak privatization would jeopardy other rail pensions

With that in mind, Brown said the Amtrak privatization plan would “trigger an increase in the taxes paid by other railroad employers and employees.” That would “devastate the railroad industry and its employees and jeopardize the entire railroad retirement system,” she added.

{mosads}House Infrastructure Committee Chairman Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) and Rep. Bill Shuster have said they proposed the privatization plan because private companies would provide faster service for passengers traveling to locations between Washington and Boston than the Acela line operated by Amtrak.

The proposal would remove Amtrak from control of the federally-designated northeast rail corridor and transfer it to the Department of Transportation. A newly-created Northeast Corridor Executive Committee would oversee bidding process for rail projects in the northeast.

At least one Democrat in the Senate, Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), has vowed to try to stop the proposal from gaining traction there.