Look, like most railfans I would love it if practical rail travel alternatives were available, but the reality is that rail travel is neither practical nor available for most folks relative to the standard alternatives, at least under the anachronism known as Amtrak.

Take the commentator's own words per a prospective trip from Seattle to Chicago and back. It's maybe 24 hours max by plane (which includes the four hour flight both ways plus a generous 8 hours of hassle times two), while it's four whole days by train. If someone was visiting relatives for Thanksgiving, they could work up to Wednesday evening and still be in Chicago by Thursday morning if they fly, but if they took the train they'd have to take the whole week off. It just doesn't make sense for most folks who have to work for a living.

Outside the NEC, passenger rail travel (except for leisure) can only be practical for overnight trips in medium distance corridors - e.g. those corridors where flight is available but inconvient, you know, those 6 am departures which require you to get up at 3 am. I am certain most people, if forced to choose between an overnight rail ride (7 pm departure, 7 am arrival) or an odd hours flight arrangement, would opt for the rail option.

But the reality is that Amtrak is not designed for that preferable travel option. Amtrak is stuck in the 1930's logistically, not suprising given that it's route structure hasn't changed much since it's inception back in 1970 - that and the fact that it's the only example of a government run travel option in the US, aka bureaucratic waste, lack of competitive innovation. etc. So we're stuck with the NEC or long distance trains and nothing else.

I don't know. Don't get me wrong. I like the idea of a viable passenger rail system (preferably from the private sector), but a continuation of government run passenger trains isn't the answer, and to that end I cannot fathom why pro-rail folks continue to support Amtrak unabashed. Is this a case of "better the @#$%& you know", e.g. having government run passenger trains is better than the prospect of no passenger trains?

My answer to that is to take Amtrak's right of passage over the private freight railroads and transfer that right to any private vendor willing to take a passenger train risk. As I pointed out above, there is opportunity for profitable passenger rail if it is implemented in the right way, but it will never happen under the Amtrak logo.