I assume this was on the air, but it is now available in youtube:
The reporter characterized the long distance trains as a "money pit" while trotting out the old myth that "the Northeast corridor makes money." We can thank Joe Boardman for that myth when he said in an interview that the Northeast Corridor makes money, but then he added under his breath, "above the rail". And that myth just won't die. Look at the money it will cost to replace the Hudson River tunnels or fix Portal moveable bridge or fix the B&P tunnel in Baltimore.
If trains didn't need the tracks, bridges or tunnels, they'd be planes.
What I'd really like to see is some sort of uniform accounting system where the contributions to Amtrak's bottom line were clearly stated so that it could be apparent whether it's more cost effective to support long distance trains, regional state supported trains, or the Northeast Corridor.
jb