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What would it take for Amtrak to go private?

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"Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth!" <a style="color:#0000aa;text-decoration:none;" href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/r/ronald_reagan.html">Ronald Reagan</a> President Reagan probably hit the nail on the head.  Amtrak has been around for more than 40 years.  Eliminating it or making serious changes to it is unlikely.  Having said that the Australian's have a model that might be workable for the long distance trains in the United States. The Great Southern Rail (GSR) operates three of the country's long distance trains: Indian Pacific, The Ghan, and The Overland.  The federal government covers the losses and ensures that the company gets a return for its shareholders.  The people who work on the trains are employees of GSR. They know that if they don't meet the government's standards for the services, GSR could lose the contract, and they would lose their jobs. The service that I received on all three trains was a cut above what I experienced on most of the Amtrak trains that I have ridden. The Australian Federal Government has given GSR considerable flexibility in its operations.  For example, the Indian Pacific runs from Sydney to Perth two days a week during the season, but it is cut back to one day a week during the off season.  This is the market for the train, and the government does not require GSR to run it daily or more frequently to satisfy a political agenda.
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