Amtrak turned 40 years old earlier this month, and of the several crosses our national rail passenger system has borne through all those years, by far the heaviest has to do with funding. Despite all the blathering you hear from the anti-government ideologues, Amtrak actually runs a lot closer to break even than any of…
Amtrak has been gaining passengers steadily for the past several years. That we know. The big problem has been not enough equipment to comfortably handle all that new business. A year ago, Amtrak had more than 100 rail cars – coaches and sleepers – in storage because there was no money for the minor repairs…
It sure looks like the Obama Administration is serious about more and better and faster trains. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood met recently with several members of Congress from upstate New York and was apparently very encouraging when asked about a high-speed rail link between Albany and Buffalo. Amtrak trains are now making that 300-mile trip…