If the customers of Amtrak actually valued it, they would be willing to pay the fare. That they are not willing to pay the fare, but are willing to pay much more than the fare for other things of no obvious value tells us something. It tells us what they think of our money.
Well said, dead on the mark.
That’s absurd, but not because of us—because of the government. Amtrak’s fares are the way they are due to government regulations and the bizarre requirement of Amtrak having to “pay its own way” under that draconian regimen. (And they still have to “get” subsidized. Why didn’t Nixon deregulate instead of creating Amtrak?)
When the Metroliner first came out in the late 60s (operated by private company Penn Central), the fare was $12.75 for a journey from New York City to Washington DC, which is $81.55 in 2015 dollars. And this train that crashed is not even the Acela (which can be twice the old Metroliner fare).