Should AMTRAK's Highly Unprofitable Routes Be Discontinued?

After operating for 4 years as a quasi-public, for-profit entity, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (AMTRAK) could point to improvements in the following operations: reservations and ticketing, equipment reliability and availability, ontime performance, onboard services, and corporate planning and programing for the future. Nevertheless, the upward trend of its losses and the required federal operating subsidy greatly concerned AMTRAK, the Department of Transportation (DOT), and Congress. According to AMTRAK, increased operating deficits are due to increased services, ownership costs of new equipment, takeover of the Northeast corridor, and inflation.