Officials say 243 people were on board at the time of the crash. Murphy said it was chaos after the train came to a halt after rolling over. “[People] didn’t care about anyone else, so stepping over people and stuff,” he said. Go To Site

“The Amtrak Inspector General has confirmed that Amtrak cooked the books to cover up food service losses that now approach $1 billion.” -John Mica, Government Operations Subcommittee chairman Go To Site

Proponents of Amtrak like to claim that it is a private corporation, but the reality is that the federal government owns virtually all its stock, and its board members are appointed by the president. Due to its poor service and inefficient business model, Amtrak has never turned a profit. They have sustained off of $40 billion in taxpayer subsidies over the past few decades. Go To Site

Amtrak Food Service: Deficits and Waste

Government, Incompetence, Financial, Waste, Debt

In 2011, the Southwest Chief ran a $66.5 million deficit, meaning the federal government had to kick in $185 for every passenger on board. And to keep the Southwest Chief running, Amtrak is now seeking additional state aid of $120 million over the next decade. Last week, the inspector general revealed at a congressional hearing that Amtrak lost $609 million on its meal services over the past six years, citing all kinds of eye-popping details about giveaways to staff, spoiled food, and service workers earning about four times the standard industry wage.

Amtrak Investigates How Train Headed To NYC Ends Up In Bala Cynwyd

Government, Incompetence, Funny, Brilliance, Waste

Amtrak wants to know how one of its trains took a wrong turn and got lost in the Philadelphia suburbs. Worried and baffled were most travelers at 30th Street Station Tuesday night. Mike Roberts of Coatesville said, “Wow, that’s crazy. That’s not professional at all. How could that happen?”

Amtrak snack bars lost $84.5 million last year; $833 million in 10 years

Government, Incompetence, Financial, Oops, Waste

According to the newly revised Heritage Foundation report, "Federal Spending by the Numbers," the rail service lost $84.5 million alone on its food and beverage services in 2011, and $833.8 million over the past 10 years. "It has never broken even on these services," said Heritage.

Amtrak lost $800M on cheeseburgers and soda

Government, Incompetence, Financial, Waste

Taxpayers lost $833 million over the last decade on the food and beverages supplied by Amtrak, which managed to spend $1.70 for every dollar that received in revenue. “Over the last ten years, these losses have amounted to a staggering $833.8 million,” said Rep.John Mica, R-Fla., in a statement previewing a House hearing today. “It costs passengers $9.50 to buy a cheeseburger on Amtrak, but the cost to taxpayers is $16.15. Riders pay $2.00 for a Pepsi, but each of these sodas costs the U.S. Treasury $3.40.”

Amtrak: Stuck in Its Tracks - New York Times

Government, Incompetence

WASHINGTON — Amtrak, it turns out, may be too sick to kill. The national passenger railroad has never managed to pay its own way, absorbing $29 billion in federal aid over its 34-year history. That has made it a perennial target for budget-cutters and fiscal conservatives, who say that what Congress cobbled together in 1971 from the fading passenger operations of the major freight railroads was not a phoenix but a Frankenstein.

Amtrak CEO Ditches broken train to travel by car to ribbon cutting of Wilmington's Joe Biden station

Government, Incompetence, Funny

Today’s the big day for Amtrak’s Wilmington train station. It is being renamed in honor of Vice President and former Delaware Senator Joe Biden following major renovations made possible with stimulus funds. One problem: the CEO of Amtrak got stuck on the train.