Editing Amtrak (section)

====2000s====
[[File:NCF59.jpg|thumb|right|Amtrak's ''[[Piedmont (train)|Piedmont]]'' near [[Charlotte, North Carolina]], with a state-owned locomotive. This route is run under a partnership with the [[North Carolina Department of Transportation]], 2003]]
[[File:Amtrak Cascades Talgo trainset near Brackett's Landing in Edmonds, WA.jpg|thumb|[[Amtrak Cascades|Amtrak ''Cascades'']] service with tilting [[Talgo]] trainsets in [[Edmonds, Washington]], 2025]]
In 2004, a stalemate in federal support of Amtrak forced cutbacks in services and routes as well as the resumption of deferred maintenance. In fiscal 2004 and 2005, Congress appropriated about $1.2&nbsp;billion for Amtrak, $300&nbsp;million more than President [[George W. Bush]] had requested. However, the company's board requested $1.8&nbsp;billion through fiscal 2006, the majority of which (about $1.3&nbsp;billion) would be used to bring infrastructure, rolling stock, and motive power back to a state of good repair. In Congressional testimony, the DOT Inspector General confirmed that Amtrak would need at least $1.4&nbsp;billion to $1.5&nbsp;billion in fiscal 2006 and $2&nbsp;billion in fiscal 2007 just to maintain the status quo. In 2006, Amtrak received just under $1.4&nbsp;billion, with the condition that Amtrak would reduce (but not eliminate) food and sleeper service losses. Thus, dining service was simplified and now requires two fewer on-board service workers. Only ''[[Auto Train]]'' and ''[[Empire Builder]]'' services continue regular made-on-board meal service. In 2010 the Senate approved a bill to provide $1.96&nbsp;billion to Amtrak, but cut the approval for high-speed rail to a $1&nbsp;billion appropriation.<ref name="railroadingscuts" />

State governments have partially filled the breach left by reductions in federal aid. Several states have entered into operating partnerships with Amtrak, notably California, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Michigan, Oregon, Missouri, [[Washington (state)|Washington]], North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, Wisconsin, Vermont, Maine, and New York, as well as the Canadian province of [[British Columbia]], which provides some of the resources for the operation of the ''[[Amtrak Cascades|Cascades]]'' route.

With the dramatic rise in gasoline prices during 2007–08, Amtrak saw record ridership.<ref>{{cite news|first=Sarah |last=Karush |title=Amtrak announces record annual ridership |url=http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ioQ136um4OUemAM70x_Q0BhuSMYgD93NRBGG0 |agency=Associated Press |location=Washington, D.C. |date=October 10, 2008 |access-date=October 27, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081028200106/http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ioQ136um4OUemAM70x_Q0BhuSMYgD93NRBGG0 |archive-date=October 28, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Capping a steady five-year increase in ridership overall, regional lines saw 12% year-over-year growth in May 2008.<ref>{{cite news |first=Jason |last=Szep |author2=Eric Beech |title=Factbox: Amtrak gets a surge in riders |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKN1040708220080611?sp=true |work=Reuters |date=June 11, 2008 |access-date=June 14, 2008 |archive-date=December 7, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207204752/http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKN1040708220080611?sp=true |url-status=dead}}</ref> In October 2007, the [[United States Senate|Senate]] passed S. 294, the Passenger Rail Improvement and Investment Act of 2007 (70–22), sponsored by Senators [[Frank Lautenberg]] and [[Trent Lott]]. Despite a veto threat by President Bush, a similar bill passed the House on June 11, 2008, with a veto-proof margin (311–104).<ref>{{cite news|first=Sarah |last=Karush |title=Amtrak funding bill approved by House |url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/bal-amtrak0611,0,2335081.story |agency=Associated Press |date=June 11, 2008 |newspaper=Baltimore Sun |access-date=June 14, 2008}}{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> The final bill, spurred on by the [[2008 Chatsworth train collision|September 12 Metrolink collision]] in California and retitled [[Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008]], was signed into law by President Bush on October 16, 2008. The bill appropriates $2.6&nbsp;billion a year in Amtrak funding through 2013.<ref>{{cite news |first=Steve |last=Hymon |title=Bush signs rail safety and Amtrak bill |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/bottleneck/2008/10/bush-signs-rail.html |work=Los Angeles Times| date=October 16, 2008 |access-date=October 27, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081025083820/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/bottleneck/2008/10/bush-signs-rail.html| archive-date=October 25, 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref>