Amtrak's new president, Dave Gunn, has threatened to not only closedown the intercity rail system, but also close down commuter railoperations in the Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washingtonareas. This is unnecessary and punitive.
Amtrak and its supporters frequently argue that a key reason forAmtrak's manifest deficiencies is the "unfair treatment it receiveswithin the federal budget." Adjusted for the generous roundingprocess applied by Amtrak's management in estimating shares, thefigures show that Amtrak actually did not fare so badly incomparison with the other modes.