"On January 31, 1979, Secretary of Transportation Brock Adams submitted to Congress the final recommendations of the Department of Transportation for a restructured intercity rail passenger system. DOT's recommendations, which were mandated by the Amtrak Improvement Act of 1978, called for the elimination of 12,000 miles, or 43 percent, of the present rail services. Among the routes included on the list of proposed cuts is 'the Montrealer,' which serves the region between Washington, D.C. and Montreal via the inland route through Connecticut, central Massachusetts, and Vermont. This train provides the only passenger service to many rural communities in the New England region, thereby establishing an essential link to large metropolitan and industrial areas. The Amtrak Improvement Act directed DOT to recommend 'an optimal intercity railroad passenger service.' Congress, in this act, emphasized the importance of public input into DOT's restructuring process. Accordingly, prior to making its final recommendations, the Rail Service Planning Office held over 50 public hearings around the country. However, there were no hearings held in Vermont, New Hampshire, western Massachusetts, or Connecticut. Thus, the people of the region primarily affected by the termination of 'the Montrealer' were not afforded the opportunity to express their views and needs prior to the proposed elimination of the route"--Page 1.