Amtrak pays $145m a year to freight rail companies like CSX and UP to use their rails for passengers. This was the bargain struck for allowing deregulation and

Amtrak pays $145m a year to freight rail companies like CSX and UP to use their rails for passengers. This was the bargain struck for allowing deregulation and privatization of rail in the US. They own the rails between NY and Boston but everywhere else, they have to pay the toll booth. If you want to see the real Railways of North America, check out these interactive maps [1] [1] https://www.acwr.com/economic-development/rail-maps https://www.acwr.com/economic-development/rail-maps