Interesting story- thanks for posting it Gary.
I've traveled the NE corridor on business and we've taken the Auto-train many times. The NE corridor, while profitable, needs major work. The track in many areas is not adequate for the Acela and causes the train to run slower than max speed. The work that Amtrak needs to do in NY is in the tens of billions. Tunnels on both sides of Manhattan were all flooded with salt water in Sandy. They all need to be completely re-built. Amtrak owns these assets (including Penn station), and is in a constant battle with the LIRR, NJ Transit, PATH, over making the necessary repairs. I will give them credit for updating many of the tracks and switches in Penn Station (shown in the video).
The Auto-train is a unique niche in Amtrak's service that we find to be a great alternative to driving I-95 from NY to Florida. Amtrak may want to think about expanding this service onto other routes as a way to draw more business. The service has been good over the almost 20 years we have ridden, but the quality has slipped as they try to cut costs. We have been lucky and most trains have run on or close to schedule. We have heard the nightmare stories from other riders of being stuck behind a dead CSX freight for hours and hours though. Waiting for our car to be unloaded has been the biggest cause of our delays.
I agree that Amtrak would benefit from a dedicated ROW in many areas. Especially when you consider how bumpy the ride is on freight trackage. A full second or third track along existing ROW's would probably be the most cost effective solution. If Amtrak went to a hub and spoke model like the airlines do then they may be able to turn a profit. The example shown of the Atlanta/ deep south would be a good start. Run one or two trains a day to the surrounding cities and use Atlanta as a hub.
Finally- unless rail travel is embraced like it is in most other parts of the world I fear it will fade into history just like steam engines did.
Bob
