I think that AMTRAK has priced themselves out of the market. For example they are charging roughly the same price to travel coach from Portland Oregon to San Jose California as either Southwest or Alaska Air charges to fly. Why would anyone in the traveling public go by a train that takes over a day to cover the distance when they can get on a plane and be there in an hour and a half. What incentive is AMTRAK giving them to ride? Marginal service that is typically late in arriving? That's not inviting. There are people who are afraid to fly. But supplying a transportation system to cater to them does not make sense.

To get people back on trains AMTRAK should be charging closer to half of what the competing airfare would be. Maybe they should at least bring back the "Travel with us and the return ticket is only $1.00" promotion they did about 25 years ago. They need to do something to be competitive because to the general traveling public they do not have a competitive product that is worth the same as air travel.