Well, if we base a decision on historical performance of Amtrak, then it's not a good idea. Amtrak is a huge loser. If we're really worried about "green" effor

Well, if we base a decision on historical performance of Amtrak, then it's not a good idea. Amtrak is a huge loser. If we're really worried about "green" efforts these days, we should consider strongly what modes will move people most efficiently. This is one of the areas where common knowledge differs badly from reality. See, e.g., http://eapblog.worldbank.org/content/comparing-the-fuel-efficiency-of-planes-trains-automobiles-%E2%80%93-and-cheeseburgers http://eapblog.worldbank.org/content/comparing-the-fuel-effi... Trains are much less efficient than, say, buses, due largely to problems in filling the trains fully. And since this is all so political, you can expect this train to be worse thanks to the political wrangling that will force the decisions about stations and schedules to overwhelm efficient routing plans.