Not All Aboard - Amtrak Needs $15B
Amtrak is federally subsidized and to call it’s forecasting capabilities a train wreck (pun intended) would not be an overstatement. The pseudo-company hasn’t made a profit or met its ridership goals in 37 years. And yet they’re asking for more money (to the tune of $15 billion) to replace old locomotives and rail cars with more efficient models.
There is a rule of corporate portfolio management and the organic growth it aids and that is you compare promise vs performance for projects and then give resources to those areas where past results and future opportunities are best. I sincerely doubt that Amtrak’s past projects have done very well, and so it’s fair to assume that this time is not going to be different. From a federal resource allocation perspective, there are probably better places to place bets.
