And the most important of these? Accountability. It happens that the Amtrak Downeaster line (http://amtrakdowneaster.com/) is unique in having WIFI, but it wasn't Amtrak that set up the service, rather it was the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority. That is, a local authority, which is more directly accountable to the riders of that line, a far cry from Amtrak's "accountability" to Congress.

Likewise, the other decent line I've ridden, the Cascades line (www.amtrakcascades.com/) is largely supported by & accountable to the Washington and Oregon state governments.

Amtrak is a decades-old failed experiment. Here's to hoping private & state-run high-speed passenger rail authorities show the way forward. My money is on Texas: http://www.thsrtc.com/