HOW TO GET AMTRAK ON THE RIGHT TRACK

摘要

Amtrak is turning 30 this year, but the passenger rail service has little reason to pop open the bubbly. The carrier was supposed to be making a profit by now, yet it continues to spill red ink at an alarming rate. The latest problems: embarrassing failures on its new high-speed Aeela line, as well as rampant, system-wide delays. Indeed, things started to look desperate in June when Amtrak mortgaged one of its most prized assets, New York's Penn Station, to raise $300 million to cover operating costs. Now, even one of rail's biggest supporters, Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta, is losing faith: "There's no question Amtrak is facing some very, very serious financial problems," he says.