“Isn’t Amtrak subsidized?”
Globally RR’s are subsidized. There has never been a successful railroad effort except for maybe one and a freeper once told me where that was... it might have been the bullet train in Japan, but I’m not exactly sure because my memory does not accurately recall. However, Railways in America have never been successfully run without subsidies.
Railroads used to make huge money from freight which supported passenger services.
If I can take a train instead of the hassle of flying I always do.