End of the Line

the long version

"The book addresses myths and fallacies about Amtrak, exposing how the railroad is not as essential to mobility as it claims. For example, each of the nation's top sixteen airports serves more travelers every day than does Amtrak's entire national system." "This well-documented study chronicles Amtrak's repeated threats to shut down the nation's passenger railroads, including many commuter trains that operate on Amtrak's lines, unless Congress increases subsidies. Joseph Vranich also explains why deliveries of supposedly "high-speed" Acela Express trains were years behind schedule. Most shockingly, Vranich exposes Amtrak's failure to address critical safety problems in the New York City railroad tunnels - the most critical infrastructure it owns. This disregard for public safety in New York leaves travelers on Amtrak's busiest line needlessly vulnerable to terrorist attacks, while the railroad continues to squander billions of dollars elsewhere on lightly traveled routes."--Jacket.