The "Embarrassment" of Amtrak

Amtrak's Hiawatha train from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Chicago arrives at the Amtrak station February 8, 2005 in Glenview, Illinois.

Contributing writer for National Journal magazine Simon van Zuylen-Wood discusses his latest cover story for the magazine, “How Washington Derailed Amtrak.” He argues that in the forty-five years since its inception, Amtrak has become a national embarrassment for America's transportation infrastructure. The passenger rail service, which pales in comparison to its international counterparts, has been slow to innovate and currently runs a deficit with no end in sight.