Biden advocates for expanding passenger rail in speech celebrating Amtrak

President Biden delivered remarks on Friday to celebrate 50 years of service by Amtrak, arguing that expanding and investing in the country's passenger rail system would help the economy by creating jobs and benefit the environment by cutting down on fossil fuel emissions from commuters.

"Amtrak doesn't just carry us from one place to another, it opens up enormous opportunities," Mr. Biden said. He also reiterated that expanding passenger rail service would mean the creation of union jobs.

Mr. Biden's remarks came as he continues to promote his multi-trillion dollar legislative agenda. His infrastructure and jobs proposal, the $2.3 trillion American Jobs Plan, would invest $621 billion in improving transportation infrastructure such as roads, bridges and public transit, including $80 billion dedicated specifically to Amtrak.

The president proposed expanding rail service across the country, suggesting more routes that stretch from the midwest to the coasts.

"It's going to provide jobs, and it will also accommodate jobs," Mr. Biden said, claiming that making towns and cities Amtrak stops would help revitalize them economically. "There's so much we can do. And it has an incredibly positive impact on the environment. It has an incredibly positive impact on work."

A group of Republican senators have also introduced their own $538 billion infrastructure proposal. This plan would only dedicate $20 billion to the rail service. Amtrak has estimated that it has a $31 billion repair backlog just for trains in the Northeast Corridor.

Mr. Biden earned a reputation for frequently riding Amtrak from Delaware to Washington, D.C. while he was a senator, and continued using the railway as vice president, inspiring the moniker "Amtrak Joe."

In his speech, Mr. Biden repeatedly referred to Amtrak workers as "family," and promised to fight for a "bright future for all American rail."

Mr. Biden continued to use the railway system during the 2020 presidential campaign, and intended to travel via Amtrak from Delaware to Washington on the day of his inauguration in January. However, these plans were scrubbed after the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6.  

The president was introduced on Friday by a conductor who worked his regular route, and Amtrak officials also spoke.

"This is a birthday I certainly wouldn't miss," he tweeted on Friday. "Looking forward to celebrating Amtrak's 50th in Philadelphia later today."

This week, Mr. Biden marked his first 100 days in office with a speech at a rally in Atlanta. On Wednesday, he delivered his first address before a joint session of Congress, outlining the American Jobs Plan as well as his $1.8 trillion American Families Plan focused on health care, child care and education.

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