TRAVEL writers are abuzz about a new paper from the Brookings
Institution, a Washington think tank, that looks at the problems
with Amtrak, America's government-subsidised passenger rail
service. The paper's authors argue—as Gulliver has before—that
the railroad company's financial problems stem from its
unpopular, expensive and slow long-distance routes. As I wrote
in October, long-haul passenger train trips, especially at
Amtrak speeds, are for hobbyists, people with lots of time and
tiny budgets, and people who are afraid of flying. Private
enterprise can cater to those travellers, but it's unclear
whether the government should. A smaller, more profitable, more
focused intercity and regional rail service, even one supported
by the federal government or the states, would be easier for
this blog to countenance.  As the authors note, "combined,
Amtrak's short-distance corridors generated a positive operating
balance in 2011—while corridors over 400 miles returned a
negative operating balance". The majority of