If you're wondering where the GOP's head is at when it comes to Amtrak & US passenger rail, look no further than this message from House GOP: https://transportation.house.gov/news/email/show.aspx?ID=TIE2XVE36QOKFBRU4IXDMOZALY
Goals:
—"Weaning [Amtrak] off government support"
—Amtrak is not "a replacement for vehicles [cars] & airplanes"
Goals:
—"Weaning [Amtrak] off government support"
—Amtrak is not "a replacement for vehicles [cars] & airplanes"
Comments
In case anyone still thinks "private" is a cute, cozy word, it means YOU are left OUT.
God, I wish I had been born in Japan.
I'd like to finish CA HSR before doing anything else.
—US transports substantially less by freight rail than China or Russia
—US freight rail is losing market share https://railpulse.com/news-updates/improving-rails-future-competitiveness/
—US freight rail transport is declining https://www.statista.com/statistics/245235/rail-freight-transportation-in-the-us/
2. US freight ton-mile decline is largely driven by reduced coal traffic -- that is a good thing!
Weaning Earth off of continued human existence.
Also the only Amtrak line with a profit.
My view is that we should have tourism run by a separate agency, and break up the long-distance routes into 200-600 km routes that run 1-4 times per day.
Frequency is freedom!