Given how underfunded Amtrak is, it's not exactly weird that their service is so poor, but it is a shame. So it's good news that Congress is considering a significant boost in funding for the beleaguered rail system. It's true that America doesn't have the density to support a train infrastructure like that of Europe's, but parts of America certainly do, and in those areas, Amtrak just isn't funded well enough to be a competitive option. This, of course, creates a rough cycle in which a poor reputation drives away customers, which in turn increases fares and lowers service quality, which in turn harms the reputation, which in turn drives away customers, which...
In answer to this, some conservatives suggest Amtrak should be able to stand on its own two feet. But is that fair? Last year, Congress appropriated $40 billion in highway funding -- that goes to maintenance and new road construction. And a similar sum is appropriated every year. Amtrak received around a billion. In 2002, the nearest year for which I can find cross-statistics, Congress appropriated $14 billion for the FAA and air travel, $32 billion for highways, and $521 million for Amtrak. Between 1971 and 2001, Air and Highways received 62 times the funding Amtrak did. That the train system isn't as plush should not, under those circumstances, come as a surprise.
Also, see Ryan Avent for more on this topic.
