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Rail Passengers Praises Nomination of Elaine Clegg
May 2, 2024
Rail Passengers Association Praises Biden Administration’s Nomination of Idaho’s Elaine Clegg to Amtrak Board of Directors
For Immediate Release (24-5)
Contact: M. Ned Butler ([email protected])
Rail Passengers Association Praises Biden Administration’s Nomination of Idaho’s Elaine Clegg to Amtrak Board of Directors
Washington, D.C. — The Rail Passengers Association applauds President Joe Biden’s nomination of Idaho’s Elaine Clegg to the Amtrak Board of Directors. Clegg, who serves as CEO of Valley Regional Transit, is an established advocate for more and better transit and rail service, with a proven track record of addressing the needs of both urban and rural passengers.
As head of the VRT, and before that as a member of the Boise City Council, Clegg has been a leader in expanding access to transit, passenger rail, and other forms of sustainable transportation for more than two decades.
“Elaine would be an excellent addition to the Amtrak Board of Directors,” said Rail Passengers President & CEO Jim Mathews. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the time I’ve spent working with her on efforts to expand and upgrade Amtrak service throughout the Western U.S., where she has been a consistent champion for the rights of Americans to access frequent and reliable train service. We congratulate Elaine on her nomination, and extend our appreciation to the Biden-Harris Administration for recognizing her remarkable contributions to the transportation sector.”
Rail Passengers stands ready to work with the U.S. Senate to swiftly confirm Clegg to the Amtrak Board of Directors.
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About the Rail Passengers Association
The Rail Passengers Association is the oldest and largest national organization serving as a voice for the more than 40 million rail passengers in the U.S. Our mission is to improve and expand conventional intercity and regional passenger train services, support higher speed rail initiatives, increase connectivity among all forms of transportation, and ensure safety for our country's trains and passengers. All of this makes communities safer, more accessible, and more productive, improving the lives of everyone who lives, works, and plays in towns all across America.
"On behalf of Amtrak’s onboard service staff, I want to thank the Rail Passengers Association for honoring their hard work with this award. The past couple years have indeed been difficult for Amtrak onboard service staff – coping with furloughs and job insecurity, adapting to changing protocols and services, not to mention the unfortunate events such as a tragic derailment and a fatal shooting. Nevertheless, our dedicated members at Amtrak have handled these hurdles with the care, attention and diligence for which they’re known. We thank Rail Passengers for their acknowledgement of our members’ hard work and, as always, look forward to seeing you on the rails."
Arthur Maratea, TCU/IAM National President
December 21, 2021, on the Association awarding its 2021 Golden Spike Award to the Frontline Amtrak Employees.
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