On Friday, President Biden attended an event in Philadelphia to celebrate Amtrak's 50th birthday. The train system holds a special place in the president's heart and is a key element of his public-facing political identity.
‘Amtrak Joe’ spent most of his career riding the trains between Wilmington, DE, and Washington, D.C. Biden began using the train to commute as a 29-year-old senator after becoming a single father to his two sons upon losing his wife and daughter in a car accident.
Biden estimates that during his 36-year career as a senator, he made more than 8,000 round trips on Amtrak between D.C. and Wilmington. Through the numerous trips, he became good friends with many conductors and staff.
Biden reportedly wanted to take the train in for his presidential inauguration in January, but due to security concerns following the January 6 Capitol insurrection, that plan was scrapped.
Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are promoting the Getting America Back on Track Tour to sell their ambitious $2.3 trillion infrastructure package.
According to The NY Times, the plan seeks $80 billion in funding for rail projects, among them bolstering Amtrak’s popular Washington-to-Boston corridor and increasing service to Las Vegas, Nashville, Atlanta, and Houston.
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