Replying to a message of Bob Sakowski to Bob Ackley:

 BS> On 7/30/2009 6:22 AM, Bob Ackley wrote to Bob Sakowski:

 BS> -> Replying to a message of Bob Sakowski to Richard Webb:
 BS> -> 
 BS> ->  BS> Amtrak came in existence AFTER the railroads ceased passenger
 BS> traffic ->  BS> cited it as being a money loser. ->  -> Actually
 BS> Amtrak took over the railroads' passenger service.  The railroads ->
 BS> wanted -> to end passenger service, particularly the long haul
 BS> trains,

 BS> Key point, railroads wanted and threatened to cease passenger service.

Another key point:  the railroad passenger service could not compete with the
government subsidized airlines.  Yes, subsidized airlines; the government provides
them with terminals (for which they pay nothing approaching the cost of building
and maintaining) and traffic control (for which they pay nothing that approaches
the cost of).  Long haul truckers get similar breaks from the government, which 
provides them with roadways and doesn't charge them nearly what the cost of the
damage they cause to those roadways is.  OTOH, railroads are required to build
and maintain their own facilities, including rights of way and passenger terminals,
without government help - and pay taxes on them.

 BS> Should the govt have said OK and not do anything about the thousands
 BS> of commuters using the rails, primarily in the northeast?

I don't know that the railroads proposed to abandon those commuter runs.  I do know
that the railroads wanted to get out of long distance passenger service.

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