Elon Musk has joined the growing list of critics calling for the privatization of Amtrak, the US intercity passenger rail service. During a recent tech conference, Musk described Amtrak as “embarrassing” and said that privatization was the only way to improve its service.
Musk’s comments come after Amtrak invested over $4 billion in improving its infrastructure and aging fleet last year. Despite this investment, the railroad has historically struggled with chronic delays and antiquated technology. However, it also provides a vital service that keeps people off roads and out of airports at affordable prices.
Amtrak’s ridership has seen an increase since the coronavirus pandemic, and the railroad reported record revenue in 2024. In response to Musk’s comments, Amtrak said its business performance is strong and that it looks forward to working with President Trump to create a “world-class passenger rail system.”
However, critics argue that privatization would not solve any problems for Amtrak. Tad DeHaven, a policy analyst at the Cato Institute, said that lawmakers would need to overcome their “political whims” to support privatization. He added that achieving a profit has not been one of Amtrak’s stated goals.
Experts note that if Amtrak is not profitable, it cannot be privatized. Louis Thompson, a member of the Transportation Department team, echoed this sentiment, saying that Amtrak provides a service that is “inherently not profitable” and therefore cannot be privatized.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/06/us/politics/elon-musk-amtrak.html