WASHINGTON (Map, News) - While Amtrak scrambled to rescue passengers from sweltering tunnels after a major power outage last week, a U.S. House panel voted to cut the transit agency’s federal subsidy by a sum one lawmaker termed “a shutdown number.”

It could be weeks before both the cause of the outage and the fate of the troubled railroad service are known, officials said Friday.

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation on Thursday approved a $900 million federal subsidy for Amtrak, which matches President Bush’s request for a $400 million cut from the service’s current $1.3 billion budget allocation. The latest measure is an improvement over the panel’s recommendation last year, which would have sliced the subsidy in half.

Virginia Railway Express and MARC officials are hoping the proposed allocation will increase once the bill goes to the House floor or when the Senate takes up the matter. The Senate will not consider companion legislation until next month, officials said.

A federal study released a week ago found that VRE and MARC — the region’s two commuter rail providers, which transport 40,000 riders daily — would suffer mass service disruptions or shutdowns should Amtrak service come to a halt. The commuter lines rely heavily on Amtrak employees, equipment and facilities.

Dana Kauffman, a member of the VRE operations board and a Fairfax County supervisor, said it is critical for the region that Amtrak service continue.

POWER PROBLEMS

» Train service was back on track Friday a power outage Thursday morning shut down service between New York and Washington.

» An Amtrak spokeswoman said it could be as long as two weeks before the cause of the outage is determined.

» VRE and MARC use Amtrak’s rail line right-of-way into Union Station and its storage at the Ivy City Yard.

mrupert@dcexaminer.com