Alan Fisher (Armchair Urbanist)

Are the Feds Privatizing Amtrak?

The video examines a circulating proposal to break up Amtrak and place its operations, rolling stock, infrastructure and real‑estate under a new holding company, effectively moving the passenger railroad toward a privatized, open‑access model. The creator points out that Amtrak has just posted record ridership, revenue and several new services—including the New Orleans‑Mobile route, the Chicago‑Twin Cities Borealis, and expanded Northeast Corridor frequencies—while receiving new equipment such as updated Acela sets. Despite this momentum, the plan would separate the network into distinct business units and invite private firms, many of which are lobbying for access to the Northeast Corridor. The presenter cites the Trump administration’s track record of symbolic gestures, such as the failed attempt to rename Penn Station, and warns that private operators could divert federal subsidies into profit rather than reinvest in the system. He also notes that Europe’s open‑access success relies on publicly owned tracks, a condition the U.S. lacks outside the Northeast Corridor, where freight owners control most right‑of‑way. If enacted, the restructuring could fragment funding, reduce service quality on long‑distance routes, and undermine recent gains in ridership and infrastructure investment. Stakeholders are urged to contact their congressional representatives and push back against the plan, emphasizing that expanding and streamlining rail projects—rather than dismantling Amtrak—offers the greatest climate and economic benefits.