I've never understood how they don't make money. The trains were always rather full; and they usually hauled 7 or 8 private cars (I think they were mail...or some other packages).
The first time, I went in the "regular" car (never again); the rest I had a sleeper room. I paid close to $1000 round trip, which is high, but I don't particularly like to fly if it's not entirely necessary.
The train is really kind of fun; I can see why it used to be such a big deal! The food was great; the employees (most of whom have been with Amtrak for YEARS) are really top-notch; and I enjoyed sitting in the "bar car" watching the scenery from the huge windows...oh, and you really DO sleep like a baby on a train! I met some really great old folks at dinner, too.
I know they lease track rights from the railroads; is that a large part of the cost, or is the administrative cost so prohibitive that they bleed money? By the way, they should get a total refund from some of the railroads from whom they lease tracks...the ones through Arizona were notoriously horrendous. It was always right at the late dinner; and the servers had tremendous trouble even keeping their balance!
I wonder if a private company could take over what I think would be a very lucrative market if the costs could be a bit lower? I doubt I'll get to it before they're defunct, but the NW route that goes through the mountains in Montana and Idaho would have breathtaking scenery.
I've taken Amtrak a few times. Gainesville, GA to New Orleans. The service was great and the ticket price was reasonable. However, it was a 14 hour trip, and I can make it by car in 7 hours flat.
Passenger travel via railway belongs in a bygone era; meaning that if you want to do it, you should pay for it.My tax dollars have better uses.
Unfortunately, the reality is that even if the cars are full, Amtrak still cannot make money on its routes outside the Northeast Corridor. It's the equivalent of maintaining an entire airline staff and running four planes a day; even if every seat is filled, the airline will lose money.