If the country wants to justify Amtrak it has to be done as being in the national interest. I don't think it can be done any other way.

And, imagine a big, huge, enormous crunch. Trains could take over for all the distance hauling of cars, trucks, buses, and airplanes, and probably do it far less expensively.

Slower, less convenient, true. But if it were necessary to get from here to there, whether it be people, mortar shells, beef, wheat, lumber, Barbi dolls, toilet paper or widgets, trains could do the job. Using a lot less energy and infrastructure. In an emergency.

I'm not saying Amtrak is worth it. I'm just suggesting that it's a "low-tech" backup to failure of some of the higher tech, less energy-efficient forms of transportation if it's ever needed.

Arf