Guys, you remember the "Cancel Auto Train" thread, right? Just because I didn't want to get you mad does not mean that I changed my opinions about the AT.
That's fine and you're entirely entitled to your opinion, it's just that your opinion is wrong. No jk but still we don't really get why. The CR on the Auto Train is the best of any train in the entire national network minus the Acela. Taking away this train would add some demand to the Silvers, but not all of that same traffic would be diverted if there's no way to take a car. The Silvers would be pushed into a capacity crunch because there is already a shortage of basically every type of car. I don't understand why you advocate cancelling the AT when you are supportive of other AT-like systems out west, such as on the SWC. The train is full to the max with passengers right now, routinely being sold out, and reassigning these cars would not make any other trains do better, because the cars are at capacity basically all year. The market is clearly there, and the demand is clearly not AS strong anywhere else for the new auto racks that Amtrak bought a few years ago. The AT is a great and successful train. If you can come up with an advantage counterplan (sorry debate jargon) plan that uses the same equipment but more efficiently, with higher passenger loads and other stuff, but without a higher cost and other crap like that, then please present it. Sorry, simply put: name one other market that would be sold out year-round and have a higher CR ratio while not utilizing any extra equipment. So please provide this, and then I'll have more respect for your idea.