Amtrak has been a non-stop money pit forever and ever. The only states that benefit from it are the northeast corridor states, from Boston down to DC. That's it. Those are the people who ride the wretched thing.

Now, even with this subsidy, all the people here who want to champion the idea of passenger rail, do this:

Pull up Amtrak's web site. 

Get the price round trip from your nearest station to some city pretty distant.

Have a look at how much bus service you need to actually get to your destination. Think about the end-point logistics of getting to the train station and off the train station at the other end.

And then, if you're not familiar with the train stations where Amtrak pulls in... lemme give you a bit of advice: Don't send your wife or children through them without you being there.

This last issue is a big part of why passenger service hasn't done well since the "Great Society." Train stations are, on the whole, in some rather unpleasant neighborhoods - places like the pit of Los Angeles, Oakland, etc.

After having been on Amtrak in California a few times up and down the coast, my assessment is that I'd rather ride in a boxcar like a hobo than ride the passenger cars with all the freaks, drug addicts and drunks. And I'd rather deal with the freight yard boss and the bulls than some of the union Amtrak employees.