Joe Biden rides Amtrak regularly

The Obama administration has supported train travel since day 1. There is no question about that. Have they done anything that is revolutionary? Unfortunately, the answer is no.

At every public event, the administration speaks about their support of high speed rail, trains in general, and Amtrak. Here is a quote from Vice President Joe Biden:

My support for rail travel goes beyond the emotional connection. With delays at our airports and congestion on our roads becoming increasingly ubiquitous, volatile fuel prices, increased environmental awareness, and a need for transportation links between growing communities, rail travel is more important to America than ever before.

Support for Amtrak must be strong–not because it is a cherished American institution, which it is–but because it is a powerful and indispensable way to carry us all into a leaner, cleaner, greener 21st century.

I agree with paragraph one, but not paragraph two. Amtrak is what we have, but it is not what it should be. It is not powerful and is not indispensable. I often wonder if an airport/airline way of business would be better. Should the federal government simply build the railways and rail stations, while letting private companies provide the trains and run the routes?

I am not sure if the above suggestion would work, I simply thing that Amtrak has a LONG way to go. Either way, train travel needs a larger fraction of the money that is spent subsidizing airlines and road ways. Perhaps then we can better answer the question of how to best run a train transit system in this country.