The North East Corridor covers the costs "above the rail" i.e., the actual cost of running the trains. Not the cost of maintaining the tracks, overhead, stations, etc. The long distance trains might make money if Congress would actually provide enough money to not only maintain the current fleet (which it does not) but also expand the number of sleepers on a train. Before anyone makes a statement about Amtrak, they should take a long look at the history and the real numbers. Starvation funding for 30 years while the cruise ship industry recieves over $8b a year.