Could Amtrak's Sunset Limited Return?

WASHINGTON (AP) - Until Hurricane Katrina ripped up the railroad
tracks east of the Mississippi, Amtrak's Sunset Limited ran from
Los Angeles to Sanford in central Florida. The tracks were repaired
long ago, but Amtrak didn't return east of New Orleans.
The national passenger railroad says the service was ineffective
and made little financial sense. That doesn't satisfy Florida
Congresswoman Corrine Brown, who chairs a rail subcommittee and
whose district felt the impact of suspended service.
Thanks to Brown, comprehensive Amtrak legislation recently
signed into law includes a requirement that the railroad come up
with a plan to bring back the Sunset Limited.
Brown says the line is needed both for security reasons as an
evacuation route and to provide her constituents access to Amtrak's
network.
Former passengers say the Sunset Limited could be improved by
running daily rather than three times a week.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)