Standing at the New Rochelle Train Station, Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins and U.S. Congressman George Latimer expressed their opposition to the Trump administration’s proposal to reduce Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor funding by 25 percent. The corridor is a crucial rail line connecting Westchester County with major cities like New York City, Boston, and Washington, D.C.
Jenkins highlighted the potential negative impact of the proposed cuts on reliability and modernization projects, affecting thousands of local commuters. He stated: “This proposal is a serious blow to Westchester County and the entire Northeast. Slashing funding for the nation’s busiest rail corridor – while boosting less-used lines elsewhere – is not only shortsighted, its reckless. Infrastructure investments must be based on need and impact, not politics. I urge Congress to reject this proposal and stand with the communities that power the country’s economy.”
Congressman Latimer shared his concerns about reducing funds for what he described as “the most heavily traveled Amtrak route in the entire country.” As a regular Amtrak rider himself, Latimer observed growth in ridership and criticized the funding cut as “yet another bad business decision.” He remarked: “I am deeply concerned about the President’s proposal to cut Amtrak’s Northeast corridor funding by 25%. This is yet another bad business decision. Cutting this necessary funding is merely political payback to states in the northeast. I will not support a budget that includes this cut.”
The press conference was held amid growing concern over how these cuts could affect infrastructure investment priorities.
