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The National Railroad Passenger Corporation that goes by its common name of Amtrak has been serving the public for 46 years. Even though it gets some government funds with regularity, the railroad is actually in the hands of a for-profit organization. At the moment, the company reaches 500 destinations in 46 states plus three Canadian provinces. However, 83% of its customers are going for short distances of a maximum of 400 miles. Amtrak decided to cut down on the leg room while Senator Schumer condemned this initiative on Sunday.
Schumer Declared that the Only Reason Why Passengers Choose Amtrak Is Its Level of Comfort
The Senate Minority Leader stated at a Sunday press conference that he would never be on board with the recent Amtrak proposal. To him, the upcoming changes would end up with a result similar to those in air travel industry.
Senator Chuck Schumer is notorious for the passion with which he fights against the limited space for legs passengers have during their flight. This condition is not only making comfort impossible, but it can also yield health issues.
“When it comes to money-making ideas, railroads shouldn’t let the airline industry play conductor.”
He continued his statement by saying that passengers chose Amtrak in the first place for its level of comfort. If this advantage goes and customers keep feeling squeezed in like sardines, they might find other alternatives for their routes.
Amtrak CEO Announced Last Week an Idea of an Economy Class with Limited Leg Room
At the beginning of last week, Amtrak CEO Wick Moorman announced that his organization would weigh in the idea of a new economy class. This category of clients gets to pay less. In exchange, they will most likely get some drastically reduced leg room. However, this proposal is still in its incipient stage, and there were no decisions in place concerning it.
At the moment, the seat pitch passengers get with their Amtrak choice is the same with airlines’ first class conditions. The distance between one seat and the one in front of it is of 39 inches. However, most major airlines present their economy class with a 30-inch seat pitch. Senator Schumer issued an amendment to a FAA funding bill next year that would force airline companies to keep at least 35 inches for leg room.
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