Sen. Duckworth Slams Amtrak Over $25,000 Ticket Quote

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., slammed Amtrak on Sunday after it gave a $25,000 quote for a group of disabled rail passengers for tickets that typically cost $16.

Duckworth wrote on Twitter Sunday:

"It is outrageous that Amtrak asked a group of passengers with disabilities to pay $25,000 to ride from the City of Chicago to Bloomington, Illinois. It is also disappointing that Amtrak leadership appears to have failed to offer a public apology for its initial mistake."

Duckworth, a double amputee from injuries incurred as a combat veteran in the Iraq War, was responding to a report by NPR that Adam Ballard tried to buy tickets for a disability advocacy group in Chicago to attend a work retreat for 10 employees. Five of them use wheelchairs, but the railcar had space only for three, and it would cost $25,000 to outfit the car for the two additional wheelchairs.

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