Every year for many years, the federal government has targeted Amtrak for budget cuts which would destroy the national passenger railway, said Audrey Kariel.

Once again, the 2006 budget hearings were underway and the House Appropriations Committee had provided $550 million for Amtrak the next year – less than a third of the $1.8 billion requested by the Bush-appointed Amtrak board of directors, according to a press release from the National Association of Railroad Passengers.

To Ms. Kariel's relief, on Wednesday members of Congress passed an amendment to oppose the slash in Amtrak subsidies. The voice vote brought the figure up by $626 million to $1.176 billion, which will keep lines like Marshall's Texas Eagle in business, Ms. Kariel said.