Amtrak's Far-Reaching Impact

"Under a worst-case scenario, the administration could force the railroad into bankruptcy this year or early next. But whatever the specific outcome, one group likely to be affected is the 800,000-plus non-Amtrak passengers a day who rely on Amtrak to get to and from work.

...Many passengers don't realize it, but commuter trains from California to Illinois to Pennsylvania depend on Amtrak tracks, facilities or personnel for all or part of their trips. Amtrak owns big downtown train stations in Chicago, New York and Washington where commuter trains stop for passengers, and Amtrak dispatchers direct some of Boston's commuter trains."

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