advertisement

---

On Saturday, Congress approved the fiscal-year 2005 omnibus spending bill, which includes a $1.2 billion appropriation for Amtrak — similar to FY2004 funding — an official at the national passenger railroad has confirmed.

Within range of the Senate’s proposal, the appropriation is more than the House’s $900 million proposal, but less than Amtrak’s requested $1.8 billion.

In FY2005, Amtrak will be required to repay $20 million of a U.S. Department of Transportation loan the railroad obtained in 2002. Amtrak will then repay the DOT $20 million each subsequent year until the $100 million loan is repaid, according to the official.

— Angela Claypool