In the wake of our looming debt ceiling and the millions of dollars wasted every year on Amtrak’s less-than-stellar service, Republicans in Congress have proposed that Amtrak be privatized so as to maximize not only revenue, but also efficiency.
Amtrak’s popular and lucrative Northeast Corridor route, running from Boston down to Washington, D.C., would be sold to the highest bidder and would give a company an opportunity to expand as the market dictated. According to the Wall Street Journal, several companies that manufacture Europe’s high speed trains are eyeing the prime piece of travel real estate like a pack of hungry dogs as they stand to engage in a bidding war in the hopes of future profits.
Since its creation in 1970, Amtrak has had more than its share of mishaps. Going beyond just chronic lateness and the uncanny ability to break down more often than a rusty Model T, Amtrak has an astonishing track record of hitting objects such as cars, trucks or people. While no system is perfect it would seem that Amtrak has failed to maintain a standard of even remotely satisfactory or reliable service, which is one of the many reasons they barely manage to turn a profit, despite being in charge of the most densely populated route in the country.
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