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Would Amtrak be cost effective if Congress didn't force it to run lots of unprofitable routes that it was desperately trying to shed? This is a fun game! Congre
by MichaelSalib 15y ago
Would Amtrak be cost effective if Congress didn't force it to run lots of unprofitable routes that it was desperately trying to shed? This is a fun game! Congress forces Amtrak to lose money and then lambastes it for not being profitable.
- tptacek 15y agoWho are you arguing with? Me? I like the Acela, and wish we had one running STL->Chi->Memphis. I could care less about the availability of a 2-day sleeper car route from Chicago to the west coast.
- MichaelSalib 15y agoI'm not arguing with anyone. I just don't think Congressman "have a valid point regarding Amtrak" when they complain about a problem they're largely responsible for. Don't you agree? Or do you think they do "have a valid point regarding Amtrak"?
- tptacek 15y agoI think they have a valid point regarding Amtrak. I think they have a valid point even if you narrow the whole thing down to the Acela. I do not have a hard time believing that the Northeast Rail Corridor is less cost-effective than air. I'm pretty sure they have a valid point when you consider Amtrak nationwide. I do not think that their point is dispositive. The Acela can be inefficient and still worth retaining and (as I've argued elsewhere here) extended. But I object to the notion that they have no valid argument at all.