AMTRAK will never be profitable as a government run passenger railroad. In the three plus decades as a government entity AMTRAK has never even came close to a profit. Private industry can make AMTRAK profitable. Imagine a railroad such as Union Pacific or Sante Fe teaming up with a ticket seller such as Carnival or Southwest Airlines. These are the economies of scale that are needed for a profitable passenger train service. The US government cannot afford to borrow money from China to subsidize AMTRAK as it isn't that a priority at all.



