WASHINGTON -- Highlights of the proposal the Amtrak Reform Council sent to Congress on Thursday from a wire service:

--Amtrak and the National Railroad Passenger Corp., currently the same entity, would be split, and the corporation would oversee a transition of train operations to the private sector.

During a transition period of two to five years:

--Train operations would be handled by a subsidiary with an organizational structure like Amtrak's.

--Another subsidiary would own, operate and maintain the tracks, property and stations Amtrak now owns in the Boston-Washington Northeast Corridor.

--The corporation would have the authority to franchise out one Amtrak route as a pilot project, through competitive bidding. The winning bidder would have to hire Amtrak employees, by seniority, and respect Amtrak's existing collective bargaining agreements.

--The federal government would continue to subsidize the operations of long-haul, overnight trains.

After the transition period:

--Passenger routes would be subject to franchising by competitive bids.

--States developing high-speed corridors or subsidizing lower-speed trains would have the right to manage the franchising process for those routes.

--Mail and express operations would be franchised through competitive bidding as a single unit or as parts of passenger operation franchises.

--The federal government would continue to subsidize long-haul, overnight trains. Those train routes also could be franchised; winning bidders would be the ones requiring the smallest subsidies.

--States would begin to cover any losses associated with existing and new service in short-haul corridors.

--The operating company created as part of the transition could be privatized.