Ok, so I'm late to the party. You can catch up over at Amtrak's site here.
As an evil right-winger, but also a confirmed train nerd, Amtrak presents a quandry for me. It is not a profitable government venture; but then, one wonders how much subsidy goes to keeping the highways and airways moving.
Can Amtrak be made to turn a steady profit? Doubtful. I don't know how it could - its mail and cargo-hauling options are statutorily limited. And hauling passengers isn't always profitable, if the travails of the airlines are any indication.
But that's another post for another day. For now, just consider this - you have never made the trip over the Rockies until you have seen Denver below you from the Big Ten curves, from a picture window on the California Zephyr. There's nothing like it.
