Sunset Limited or Full Speed Ahead? Amtrak Talks to Congress

Richard Anderson took the helm of Amtrak in 2017 after leading a successful turnaround at Delta Airlines. Amtrak is a US state owned enterprise with about $3.5 bn in annual revenue (and a large operating loss) that is responsible for substantial segments of passenger rail travel across the United States. In 2019, Anderson has been called before Congress to explain and justify his capital spending plans for the rail carrier. He has to consider, among other topics: Rural services that are important but lose money; historically important long distance routes liked by Congress and which also lose money; new routes between growing city to city pairs; climate change and the impact of floods, washouts, and extreme heat; and the possibility of Amtrak participating in attractive new Transit-Oriented Development opportunities. Congress will be presented with options ranging from halving the annual subsidy to doubling it; and whether to focus on maintaining the money losing constituent serving routes or focus on the geographies that have the most opportunity to ease road congestion and stimulate economic growth. Amtrak leadership must also evaluate whether to rebuild lines washed out by hurricanes, how to anticipate future natural events that threaten physical infrastructure, and where to build for tnext decades of service. Where should Anderson invest and where should he divest?