A related point is that of Amtrak's 21,000 or so route miles, only 623 are actually owned by Amtrak. In nearly every case, freight operators only tolerate Amtr

A related point is that of Amtrak's 21,000 or so route miles, only 623 are actually owned by Amtrak. In nearly every case, freight operators only tolerate Amtrak because they're required to. The money they get paid is a drop in the bucket of their revenue, so they do the minimum required. It's also worth remembering that the US is huge. For the routes many of these trains cover, especially west of the Mississippi River, you have a choice between plane, bus or train. Getting to an airport could be a 6+ hour drive, and 18 hours on a train is often a much more comfortable experience than 10 hours on a bus. Despite the not-so-great timekeeping, there are many rural areas where the train is still the best of options. Keep in mind how large the US is.