this post was submitted on 06 Nov 2023
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[–] Tb0n3@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Amtrak is a private company, right?

[–] nezbyte@lemmy.world 15 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Founded in 1971 as a quasi-public corporation to operate many U.S. passenger rail routes, Amtrak receives a combination of state and federal subsidies but is managed as a for-profit organization.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amtrak

[–] Tb0n3@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

For-profit is the key term. Have you seen the prices?

[–] nezbyte@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Not disagreeing, but I want to add more context. High prices do not necessarily mean Amtrak is being greedy. As a quasi-public entity they are forced to keep open unprofitable routes and pass that cost on to the consumer. Over a third of their revenue comes from the Northeast Corridor alone, despite those railways being private and charging Amtrak rent to use them. They are stuck in a lose-lose situation unless something changes via government intervention.

Personally, one of my dream vacations is to take an Amtrak sleeper car across the nation. I just don’t see how that is remotely justifiable given the current prices.