60–2

Conversation No. 60-2

Date: June 8, 1971
Time: 10:31 am - unknown before 11:59 pm
Location: Cabinet Room

The President met with John A. Volpe, Roger Lewis, David W. Kendall, Catherine May Bedell,
General Frank S. Besson, David E. Bradshaw, John J. Gilhooley, Arthur D. Lewis, Charles Luna,
John P. Olsson, William H. Moore, William J. Quinn, John D. Ehrlichman, Egil (“Bud”) Krogh,
Jr., Charles Clapp, and Donald B. Rice

Congressional view of subsidy for National Railroad Passenger Corporation/American
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



Track [AMTRAK] [?]
-Bill prospects
-Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy’s role
-AMTRAK

AMTRAK operation plans
-Inefficiencies
-Rate system

AMTRAK Board
-Contract negotiations with other railroads
-Benefits
-Past contract negotiations
-Outcome
-AMTRAK preparation for takeover
-Kendall’s view of preparation for takeover
-Appreciation of help
-The President’s staff
-Volpe’s staff
-Benefits
-Besson’s role in preparation
-Labor problems
-Volpe’s role
-AMTRAK office
-Location
-Desire for railroad passenger service
-Reason for passenger decline
-Research effort
-Beliefs of board
-Service to meet public desire
-Service improvements
-Efforts to improve ridership
-Advantages of AMTRAK
-Size
-Money
-Flexibility
-People
-Attack on ridership problem
-Personal background
-National system
-Corporate structure
-Public role
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



-Support
-Prescription for success
-Government attitude
-Personnel
-Ridership
-Ridership question
-Research in public polling
-Other railroads
-Capabilities
-Price structure
-Advertising
-Quality of service
-Nationwide trend
-Airline operation
-Competition with other forms of travel
-Highways
-Benefits of driving
-Accommodations
-Accommodations on train
-Speed versus quality
-Airlines’ service
-Impact of quality service
-Attitude of rail help
-Impact
-Airlines
-Northwest Orient
-Benefits of competition
-Impact of competition
-Impact of service
-Pride in work
-Service competition
-Uniqueness of train travel
-Effect of unions on trains
-Service problems
-Punctuality
-Consideration
-Management problems
-Benefits of service

Gift presentation
-Cuff links
-Bipartisan nature
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



-Gifts for wives

The President left at 11:04 am

[General conversation/Unintelligible]

Volpe, et al. left at an unknown time before 11:59 pm