Something you can't fix with Amtrak 'reform'

A bridge is out in eastern North Carolina, on a route that six Amtrak trains use daily. CSX owns the bridge and promises to try to repair the bridge in 24 hours.

Now keep in mind that this isn't some lightly-used branch line to Hooterville. This is a main line that sees, according to Reuters, 50 trains a day.

And once again we see the value of Amtrak trains as the canary in the coal mine. It takes the delay of passenger trains to make an important point about the state of the rails in general, and CSX's in particular: There isn't enough profit in railroading to keep the plant in good repair.

And you're not gonna fix that with any plan to "reform" Amtrak.

Unless your aim is to take trains off--in order to move the larger rail issue to the back burner.