Another nail in Amtrak's coffin?

I’m not trying to knock Amtrak as so much declare there is a major need of a revamped national railway system…

This latest incident is proof positive of it.

Amtrak, the federal rail authority, operates passanger service throughout the continental United States. Where the federal government has been more than happy to subsidize the auto industry and the airline industry, Amtrak has been another story…

Operating on antiquated tracks, sharing tracks (and playing second fiddle) with freight trains and having a sub-par/failure of a High Speed Rail option are proof positive Amtrak needs a makeover. Congress and the current administration are fast to say that it’s weight should be shed entirely but that’s really lacking forsight.

The network needs to be upgraded — via a private entity or the federal government — and would provide thousands of jobs by doing so. Ultimately it can shrink dependance on foreign oil…

…but of course, you can’t do it any time soon. The financial black hole fo the Bush administration prevents us from doing that.