Me Wrote:
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> Many LDT's should be separated into corridors and service based on the Australian model of a
> once or twice per week cruise trains.

The Coast Starlight is a prime example of how this could work. There's virtually no need for any service between Eugene and Redding (especially seeing as how frequent and inexpensive air service is connecting California with Oregon/Washington), and the Starlight skips out on all of the southern Oregon major cities anyways (Medford, Ashland, Grants Pass, Roseburg) just to serve Klamath Falls (yawn).

Imagine, if the resources were redeployed so that the Coast Line had 2-3 daily round-trips between San Francisco and Los Angeles; Portland-Seattle had close to hourly service. Get rid of the sleepers and the expensive dining cars, and focus on just being a reliable, safe, dependable service in the corridors.

But, the Amtrak fanbois will of course attack this comment and demand that their once-a-day luxury train funded by taxpayers exist to serve them, and the other 1.5 million people each year versus adding service that is used by 20 times more people...