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CNN Live At Daybreak
The Railroad Battle: Amtrak v. White House
Aired May 23, 2003 - 06:18 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The nation's passenger railroad is set to run out of money again in October. The Bush administration proposes cutting service, but Amtrak proposes an aggressive plan that's just the opposite and that's where the train hospital comes into play.
And Dr. Keith Oppenheim is operating at Beech Grove, Indiana.
Explain this for us.
KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Dr. Keith Oppenheim, M.D., Carol.
This is the train hospital in Beech Grove, Indiana. And we're going to give you a little tour of what's going on here. You can take a look at one of the trains behind me that was damaged in a wreck in Crescent City, Florida last year. And let's give you a wide view of this entire shop, which is gigantic. The facility is 109 acres and there are about 85 passenger cars that are in some state of repair here.
Amtrak's goal is to get many of those cars back in service so it can get the railroad back on track.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From the backyard of the train yard is a graveyard, a collection of derailed cars so badly mangled they can't be fixed. But others less damaged can be revived. And odd as it may sound, their repair represents Amtrak's hope for the future.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know I feel confident when this car leaves this facility that it's going to go out and give another five years of service, reliable service.
OPPENHEIMER (on camera): Even though the skin is 50 years old?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Even though the skin is 50 years old.
OPPENHEIMER (voice-over): Amtrak's new management is looking for a five-year plan, a $4.5 billion strategy to rebuild infrastructure.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If we don't have sustained funding, it won't be very long until there won't be an Amtrak. And I think that's why we are at a very critical stage. OPPENHEIMER: Critical because Congress needs convincing Amtrak will be efficient, if not profitable. Amtrak officials say by saving old cars, they're saving money as repairs are vastly cheaper than new machinery.
Still, Amtrak faces tough opposition from some in the Bush administration who want to cut money-losing long-distance routes. But political uncertainty is a constant for the people who rebuild the trains and who year to year are never quite sure if Amtrak will survive.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These craftsman here are focused on that type of production rather than necessarily what's going to happen next year.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
OPPENHEIMER: We're back live inside one of the super liners under repair. And some of the changes that Amtrak is talking about making is different color schemes. Customers want new washrooms, so some of those will be installed on some of the repaired cars, and also a broader menu in the dining car.
Reporting live in Beech Grove, Indiana, I'm Keith Oppenheim. Carol, back to you.
COSTELLO: Gee, I wonder what that will include, the menu I mean.
OPPENHEIM: They're going to -- well they're going to try to have more choices, especially for passengers who are taking long-term trips. Some of the complaints have been is that the food has not really had the right amount of variety that passengers want.
COSTELLO: Yes, it's nothing like a microwaveable hamburger on a long trip.
OPPENHEIM: Right.
COSTELLO: Thank you very much, we appreciate it.
OPPENHEIM: Sure.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired May 23, 2003 - 06:18 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The nation's passenger railroad is set to run out of money again in October. The Bush administration proposes cutting service, but Amtrak proposes an aggressive plan that's just the opposite and that's where the train hospital comes into play.
And Dr. Keith Oppenheim is operating at Beech Grove, Indiana.
Explain this for us.
KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Dr. Keith Oppenheim, M.D., Carol.
This is the train hospital in Beech Grove, Indiana. And we're going to give you a little tour of what's going on here. You can take a look at one of the trains behind me that was damaged in a wreck in Crescent City, Florida last year. And let's give you a wide view of this entire shop, which is gigantic. The facility is 109 acres and there are about 85 passenger cars that are in some state of repair here.
Amtrak's goal is to get many of those cars back in service so it can get the railroad back on track.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From the backyard of the train yard is a graveyard, a collection of derailed cars so badly mangled they can't be fixed. But others less damaged can be revived. And odd as it may sound, their repair represents Amtrak's hope for the future.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know I feel confident when this car leaves this facility that it's going to go out and give another five years of service, reliable service.
OPPENHEIMER (on camera): Even though the skin is 50 years old?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Even though the skin is 50 years old.
OPPENHEIMER (voice-over): Amtrak's new management is looking for a five-year plan, a $4.5 billion strategy to rebuild infrastructure.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If we don't have sustained funding, it won't be very long until there won't be an Amtrak. And I think that's why we are at a very critical stage. OPPENHEIMER: Critical because Congress needs convincing Amtrak will be efficient, if not profitable. Amtrak officials say by saving old cars, they're saving money as repairs are vastly cheaper than new machinery.
Still, Amtrak faces tough opposition from some in the Bush administration who want to cut money-losing long-distance routes. But political uncertainty is a constant for the people who rebuild the trains and who year to year are never quite sure if Amtrak will survive.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These craftsman here are focused on that type of production rather than necessarily what's going to happen next year.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
OPPENHEIMER: We're back live inside one of the super liners under repair. And some of the changes that Amtrak is talking about making is different color schemes. Customers want new washrooms, so some of those will be installed on some of the repaired cars, and also a broader menu in the dining car.
Reporting live in Beech Grove, Indiana, I'm Keith Oppenheim. Carol, back to you.
COSTELLO: Gee, I wonder what that will include, the menu I mean.
OPPENHEIM: They're going to -- well they're going to try to have more choices, especially for passengers who are taking long-term trips. Some of the complaints have been is that the food has not really had the right amount of variety that passengers want.
COSTELLO: Yes, it's nothing like a microwaveable hamburger on a long trip.
OPPENHEIM: Right.
COSTELLO: Thank you very much, we appreciate it.
OPPENHEIM: Sure.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
