Boston, MA

1101 readers

17 users here now

Welcome to c/boston,

A community for all things related to Boston, Massachusetts. Whether you're a local, a visitor, or just interested in the city, this is the place to discuss, share, and connect with fellow Bostonians.

Greater Boston area discussion is welcome here.

Rules:

Be respectful: Treat others with respect and courtesy. Personal attacks, trolling, and harassment will not be tolerated.

Stay on topic: Keep discussions relevant to Boston and its surrounding areas.

Official City of Boston Website

founded 1 year ago

MODERATORS

130

White House announces $16.4 billion in new funding for 25 passenger rail projects on Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor (www.whitehouse.gov)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/boston

14 comments fedilink hide all child comments

cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/8638019

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] nezbyte 15 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Founded in 1971 as a quasi-public corporation to operate many U.S. passenger rail routes, Amtrak receives a combination of state and federal subsidies but is managed as a for-profit organization.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amtrak

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

For-profit is the key term. Have you seen the prices?

[–] nezbyte 10 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Not disagreeing, but I want to add more context. High prices do not necessarily mean Amtrak is being greedy. As a quasi-public entity they are forced to keep open unprofitable routes and pass that cost on to the consumer. Over a third of their revenue comes from the Northeast Corridor alone, despite those railways being private and charging Amtrak rent to use them. They are stuck in a lose-lose situation unless something changes via government intervention.

Personally, one of my dream vacations is to take an Amtrak sleeper car across the nation. I just don’t see how that is remotely justifiable given the current prices.