Trains and Gasoline May 11th, 2005
by Noel T. Braymer, RailPAC President — When Amtrak was created in 1971 it was supposed to be a two year “experiment.” So uncertain was Amtrak’s future that one of the few capital expenditures at that time was for some new freight locomotives modified for passenger service. They could be sold easily to the railroads should the company be liquidated. The plan was that Amtrak would automatically go out of business if it wasn’t “profitable” in two years. Many people felt Amtrak was set up to fail, so responsibility for rail passenger service could be lifted from both the government and the railroads.
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