Reliability Of Passenger Service Was: Amtrak Revenue, Ridership Increases
Q: Then what's your theory on why freight service isn't operated on time? Because railroads are trying to run in their most efficient manner possible... which means trying to run trains near the capacity of what they have. Sure, that makes the system more prone to delays and breakdowns in service, but to the railroads' bottom line that's the best way to do it. When the breakdows and delays become too much and it affects their bottom line, railroads adjust their power, schedules, maintenance and upgrades accordingly.
A: This has nothing to do with what is being discussed. The State of New Jersey was a bad actor in its relations with, regulation of, and taxation of railroads, perhaps the worst actor in the entire country. It's fair to say that Joisey is primarily responsible for running the Central of New Jersey into bankruptcy. CNJ was an efficiently-run railroad, given that they had no money whatsoever and terminal freight operations themselves were a money loser due to the unfair way railroads split revenues. But Joisey taxed 'em to death as well. The money-losing commuter operation of the Lackawana made them a poor value as a merger partner; they should have merged with Nickel Plate rather than Erie. Yes, in many instances, railroad were highly efficient despite the regulatory and taxation climate. Bankruptcy is not necessarily evidence of inefficiency.