> With new progressive leadership in Washington D.C. now,
> expect Amtrak to have a happy future.

Not if we don't actually get out of our cars and regularly take the train.

Not if the so-called private railroads Amtrak runs on, do not ever learn how to dispatch trains again, and actually keep much tighter schedules than now. To better compete with trucks, they ought to be running most of their freights on similar tight schedules anyhow. But the wusses that run the railroads now would die of fright at the mere thought.

Not if we don't quite fully recover - or if we get socked with ruinous inflation because of the current panicky reckless spending.

Not if the new "progressive" now in office would rather buy more votes with more free welfare money, than he would rather buy more trains instead. We will just have to wait and see.



Funny, but I do not remember hearing from any sore loosers on this forum, but there sure does seem to be a lot of sore winners whining here. Enough already - your guy, Mr Change, won by a goodly 52%. Quit whining about republicans - they're out. And enough bullsh-- already, about how all those horrible nasty terrible no good very bad wepublican grinches tried to kill off Amtrak - boohoo boohoo boohoo!

Fact is - its Bullsh--! Plain and Simple! Every single president since Nixon, tried to kill it, as did much of congress each and every year - democrat or republican - it didn't matter. Nixon might have also, had he not been booted out before he could get around to it - we'll never know. But there was always just enough support in congress to squeak by, even when the republicans ran congress, and not one damn bit better when the dems were in.

Fact is - All presidents and all congressmen each added their own brand of nonsense to the Amtrak stew. Because the people wanted the trains (they never really got them), It was always a political football, same as BART, with the same stupid result - know-nothing politicians micro-managing an industrial operation, rather than leaving it to the industrial pros.

So just what do we really get to look forward too? Judging by what I've seen so far, I suspect an extra serving or two of more of the same - with perhaps just a twist of lemon tossed in for better flavor; but at twice the price.

Eight years from now, there will be lot more "centralized planning" of the economy, but still no truly national service plan, and few if any additional trains - and they will still be as slow as a "stage coach" (as someone said back a thread or two). So who is actually going to be riding - - - - except those few smart enough to not be in a hurry?

Change - Schmange!

OPB