Wake up guys. As much as we ALL love trains and traveling by same, we must not loose sight that an industry as a whole came to the economic realization that passenger trains are far from good business. This country was and always will be most concerned with the bottom line. Republicans are ,as a group, staunch business people. If it makes money keep doing it. If it runs in the red, Stop. If the rail industry was making money on passengers they would still be doing it today.

I would love to see Amtrak succeed and make money. We all would. Realistic routes, schedules and incentives for the owners of the track they use are what is needed. Service enroute is also a necessity. Direct service from Chicago to Miami may not be available now. Who would want to ride a train to Miami while eating food out of a microwave on disposable plates, not knowing if they will arrive in time to actually enjoy their vacation. When you can go to the airport and with a minor strip search and some time in line, be in Florida in a matter of hours.