Who really owns Amtrak? The Government...freight railroads...who!?

Question

Who really owns Amtrak? The Government...freight railroads...who!?

Answer 1

Amtrak is owned by the government.



but before 1971 all passenger lines were own buy freight railroads that they traveled on ran buy the individual freight line. But Back in early 70's late 60's all the freight railroads we trying to drop all there passenger lines (exceptions Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, "Rio Grande Zephyr". & The Southern Railway, "Crescent"). because at this time were so unpopular they were losing fast but states said that can't stop providing transport but were still trying to drop lines. The  goverment made Amtrak to presive what littel trains had left. but so amtak is owned by the govermnet to trasport peple (wich I think it dose well for wat littel it has) and goverment is suppose to pay for amtrak. (but they pour more money is to private air line that amtrak that is owned by the gov and is not privately owned.  my opinon).

Answer 2

Hey Hoghead - respectfully I submit -

Your answer points out the great inequity of Amtrak vs its alternates.

"... your tax dollars are being put to work, flogging a dying horse."

Well, those bucks also go to Paving roads and repairing bridges...  so I guess that should stop(?), too!

And, those bucks also pay for Air traffic control (what... personnel and radio tracking and radar and weather info...),  so, I guess the subsidy given to the Airlines should be repaid, too!

When that happens- you gas taxes will reach $2 per gallon (on top of the $3 for the fuel alone) and the airport taxes will go from $10 or so to $50 per ticket.

"... THAT'S where there is a preponderance of need.."

well- no... keeping ALL of us moving in the Most efficient way(s) is the Need... and in the Outback of the U.S, it's not on rails... but in a densely populated areas it IS rail.  (can you build a road in a populated area without eminent domain?)

As an example of efficient:

between Boston or New York or Philadelphia or Washington (downtown to downtown)

Amtrak OWNS those rails (btw: the Northeast corridor is the Only rail owned by Amtrak)

the fare (Acela) is comparable to air travel...

the travel time (without luggage inspection or 1 hour wasted at check-in or $50 cab rides on each end to and from the airports at 45 to 130 minutes) is about the same - or less,

the space is More comfortable than an aircraft -

they offer Real food and Real tables and Real 120V power for your laptop and you CAN use your cell phone!

AND It's a stretch of track that's run at a Profit!

-See what happens when you can get freight out of the way?

This is Not to argue- but to present the underreported story of rails in the USA.

BTW - Conrail, too, was owned by the US Government...

in a similar corporate structure.  Because of it, countless people from Boston to Chicago to Baltimore were kept employed because its precursor railroads went (simultaneously) bankrupt due to flood damage (circa 1972) .

It was recently divided by Norfolk Southern and CSX...

And the Government got  a Profit from that sale!

Don't stand against subsidies... stand against inefficiencies.

Answer 3

Government owns, because it wanna to be monopoly like they did to postal office, it wasn't too smart business, since many said government lost money over this, and use tax player money to keep it operating, to avoid embarrassment.

Answer 4

The US government who  owens the rail road since the 1970's. They're using the tax payer's money to keep it going.

Answer 5

US government rr. The frights lease mileage to amtrak to operate. But as a citizens and taxpyer of the USA you are a shareholder in Amtrak.

Nice......

Answer 6

Rango is the only one who is right.  Like the Postal Service, Amtrak is a corporation whose stock is owned entirely by the US Treasury.

All Amtrak employees work for the government, and all the equipment belongs to the government.  If you want to own a small share of Amtrak, buy a US Savings Bond.

Answer 7

You do, Doc.  In a way, all taxpayers do.

Every time the foolish behemoth gets an infusion of many hundreds of millions of dollars from good ol' Uncle Sam, your tax dollars are being put to work, flogging a dying horse.

If you really wanna spend $400 million (like the last major infusion) taxpayer dollars, hire some air traffic controllers.  THAT'S where there is a preponderance of need...

Answer 8

although there is stock in the company, the U.S. Govt owns all the stock and it is not traded in any way.

so even though it is set up as a sort of semi-official company, it is 100% government owned and operated.

The United States Gov't owns the equipment, and they hire the crews. They pay RR companies for the rights to operate it on their lines.

Answer 9

i do....

she is all mine...

Answer 10

Da govmit owns it.  I am still amazed that people will type answers to questions that they don't know the answer to.  Why bother?

Answer 11

AMTRAK is a quasi-governmental agency; it's NOT part of the US government.  AMTRAK has to pay to use the freight railroad's lines; and they pay dearly.  It used to be that under the contract, AMTRAK had the right to DEMAND priority on the rails.  Evidently they lost that in the new contract.