Articles tagged “amtrak”

The government has a considerable stake in Amtrak, but the rail’s for-profit business model mandates that it be considered a private company, years after its leaders drafted national rail standards.

New York’s obsession with biking grows as senators look to capitalize on a new generation of CitiBike riders who may soon be interested in riding somewhere more scenic than Times Square.

The good news for Amtrak is that it doesn't have to do much to improve the situation. Clearing out the vendors who've been providing the same old microwave sandwiches for the last decade is and easy win.

Amtrak’s operations are highly criticized for draining taxpayer dollars, and Amtrak leader openly agrees with the overall message of the report pointing out where the national rail could cut losses.

Amtrak received a federal subsidy of nearly $1.4 billion in fiscal 2012. It would be nice if positive trends continue and Amtrak can reduce the amount of the federal handout that it needs. But, no one should be under any illusions that Amtrak is now magically making a profit.

First Hurricane Sandy hit the Northeast last year, and now this train crash in Connecticut will take an economic toll on the region, as well. Not to mention that it's ulcer time for Connecticut commuters trying to get into NYC, and vice versa.

Business travelers are already starting to pick Amtrak over airlines for short-haul trips due to time, cost, and convenience; a more consistent Wi-Fi experience would only further the rail’s cause.

This shouldn’t be a conversation of whether Amtrak receives funding, but how that funding should be spent as the U.S. continues to fall behind its peers in high-speed infrastructure.

Americans are increasingly choosing trains over air travel, which has contributed to Amtrak’s recent growth and can be expected to play a major factor in negotiations over its $2.3+ billion budget request for 2014.