Well for EH Bowen I am here and I have my opinion.
First off: Amtrak is trying to look like a good guy by the Oakland Switch being added however if you read more into it they really didn't change much. Now you can drop a car off in OKJ off either 11 or 14 but both trains can not pick up a car there. So my friends at LA Rail are still unable to do any real day trips.
Second Off: the rate increase is roughly 20 something percent. So in words I've heard from others they are now trying to price us out of business. The higher the price goes the less trips we will receive because we market our service based on low unit prices. Hence with a 50 seat car my passenger fare on the Carolinian for the CLT-WAS leg at the old rate is 31.16. While at the new rate is 35.02. Which while it doesn't seam like a lot but when you are competing with charter bus companies on price it becomes a challenge.
With what we do with our PVs two fifty seat parlors we offer school field trips. So for us eventually if the rate keeps getting higher we're going to lose our customers.
Consider that a charter bus rents on the same route is $1,675 for 50 passengers. The unit cost is $33.50. So with the new rate we are now a more expensive option. And the prime market for field trip charters are schools who are often trying to be very frugal with their budget.
So to us the per mile charge is a critical part of our examples business plan. Now for people using sleeper lounges, and office cars it won't price them out just yet because it's a different market.
But that too will eventually reach the top of its parabola where demand gets lower due to the price. But for owners of day only cars that point is a lot closer.