Is Amtrak shutting down soon?

Question

Somebody told my friend that they heard Amtrak was shutting down soon, just wanted to know if it was true because it would suck if it were.

Answer 1

Amtrak's budget has been cut again.

It is time to euthanize the well intentioned boondoggle.  Not eliminate the service, just try privatization.  Transcontinental passenger service (with intrastate travel still viable but close behind) is a pipe dream.  But, the commute corridors are essential.  What are we taxpayers facing of consequence?  Privatization may fail, and a government bail-out may be needed.  So what?

Without trying it out, we're going to pay for the outcome one way or another.  It's called, "government waste."  Put it into the private sector for a go.  We've nothing to lose...

Answer 2

Amtrak has been loosing money for lost of years now.  The Government keeps bailing them out. I would not be surprised if it was true.  They have been cutting back service on a lot of routes,  You cannot go all the way from Seattle Wa, to Los Angeles Ca, any more. They bus you from Bakersfield.

Answer 3

No.  The Federal Government constantly threatens to cut funding (depending on who is president and who is in Congress), but at the moment Amtrak is not in danger of shutting down.  Some routes are cut sometimes, or service is reduced, but there are no real plans to shut Amtrak down.

The fact is that nearly ALL passenger railroads in the world are government subsidized.  In fact, in the United States, all public transportation that I can think of is subsidized.  For example, buses are usually operated by a city or county agency.  The commuter train system in southern California, Metrolink, is operated by a regional transportation agency (Southern California Regional Rail Authority.  SCRRA).  And a lot of people use it...the Metrolink station where I live is always full.  It's hard to find parking.   Public transportation is infrastructure, and privatization is not an option because it isn't profitable.  For those people who say that Amtrak should be shut down or privatized, then we should also stop government funding of roads and highways and make all highways toll roads.  Airline companies also receive billions of dollars in governemt subsidies every year, and yet they are private companies.  Amtrak has recieved less funding in its ENTIRE existence than airlines receive EVERY YEAR.

Answer 4

I think your friend is wrong as so is

antdak he is mixing two different trains

there is still the coast starlight which operates

from Los Angeles to Seattle (no change needed

there the San Joaquin trains which do originate in Bakersfield

and you do have take a bus from Los Angeles to Bakersfield

to catch those trains..

(the San Joaquin's only operate from Bakersfield to either

Sacramento or Oakland,.(they do that cause

it would take several more hours by train from Bakersfield

to Los Angeles ) it only takes 2 hours by bus)

if Amtrak was really shutting down dont you think that

the Media would mention that?

Answer 5

not unless congress no longer funds it!