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[quote user="henry6"] Most everyone here is condmening Amtrak as it is or supporting certain parts of it or complaining about government operation and wants to privatize it.   I have posted the idea of starting a new rail passenger company and asked for definitions and input FORGETING THAT AMTRAK EXISTS.  But no one has addressed any of my questions or comments.  Do we want to talk about replacing Amtrak with something else or do we just want to complain about Amtrak as it sits in its tracks? [/quote] I would scrap Amtrak.  I would invite private businesses to bid on operating trains in those corridors where passenger rail made some sense.  I would provide transitional subsidies, as well as performance operating subsidies, as long as other modes of transport are subsidized, where it made sense to do so, which in my mind is in relatively short, high density corridors where the cost of expanding the highways and airways is prohibitive.   If someone wanted to have a go at running long distance trains as a tourist service, I would encourage them to go for it.  But I would not subsidize it.  If Kansas taxpayers wanted to subsidize a train from Kansas City to Garden City, as an example, they could do it, but I would not place the burden on the national taxpayers.   Where the rails are owned by Amtrak, I would solicit bids for an independent operator to manage the rights-of-way and separate operators to run the trains.  Anyone who could meet the required performance and safety standards could run a train on the independently owned rights-of-way.   To the extent that it is needed, I would have an independent manage a reservation system to help ensure coordination between the corridors.  Travelocity might be a good reservations manager.  They have the facilities and the competitive business spirit to do so. The DOT would be the primary regulator.  Proper regulation, contrary to what some folks have said about this Texan's perspective on regulation, is necessary.  It would also be responsible for ensuring planning for future rail corridors, operational coordination, performance evaluation, etc. This just skims the surface of the issue, of course.  A lengthy paper would be necessary for each critical aspect of a plan to unwind Amtrak in favor of private operators.  It could be done if the political will to do so were to come forth.  However, as I have said, don't count on it. Too many people have a vested interest in the existing arrangement.  Overcoming their resistance would require a concerted effort.
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