Jobs coalition urges Amtrak, California authority to continue high-speed rail commitment

The Jobs to Move America coalition is calling on the California High Speed Rail Authority and Amtrak to continue their commitment to build high-speed trains for service in the United States.

The coalition issued the statement following an announcement by the authority and Amtrak that they canceled their joint manufacturing plan for 43 modern high-speed trains because their needs for trainsets were too different to address jointly.

In January, the two organizations issued a request for proposals for the purchase of 28 high-speed trainsets to replace Acela trains currently operating between Boston, New York City and Washington, D.C., and 15 trainsets to operate on California's future high-speed line between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

The agencies' decision prompted Jobs for America's Campaign Director Madeline Janis to issue the following statement:

"In the separate Requests for Proposals (RFPs), Amtrak and the California High Speed Rail Authority should require – as the joint proposal did – that the companies bidding for the contract to build America’s first modern high-speed trains clearly spell out their plans for creating good U.S. jobs and providing opportunities for disadvantaged Americans. Given our past experience with the joint RFP, we have high hopes they will."

Ultimately, efforts to bring high-speed rail to the nation could pay off with tens of thousands of good jobs for disadvantaged Americans like veterans, residents of low-income communities, and people of color, she said.

"It's up to Amtrak and the California High Speed Rail Authority to make that happen," Janis added.