The One Tiny Law That Keeps Amtrak Terrible

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Writing by Sam Denby and Tristan Purdy
Editing by Alexander Williard
Animation led by Josh Sherrington
Sound by Graham Haerther
Thumbnail by Simon Buckmaster

Historic US rail map data courtesy Bygone Maps, LLC and licensed under CC-BY-SA (historic rail graphics correspondently avaliable under a CC-BY-SA license)

References
[1] https://homesignalblog.wordpress.com/2021/12/27/efficiency-and-the-decline-of-american-freight-railroads/
[2] https://wx4.org/to/foam/maps/2Wx4/001/1905-05ColoradoMidland_PTT.pdf
[3] https://wx4.org/to/foam/maps/2Wx4/001/1909ca_SP-SRR-A%26WP-L%26N_WashingtonSunsetRoute.pdf
[4] https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/28-class-i-operating-ratios-reach-new-lows-in-2019/
[5] https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/class-i-operating-ratios-reach-another-new-low-despite-pandemic/
[6] https://www.oig.dot.gov/sites/default/files/Amtrak_Root_Causes_Final_Report_9_8_08_with_508_charts.pdf
[7] https://media.amtrak.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Host-Railroad-Report-Card-2021-Final-v2.pdf
[8] https://www.freightwaves.com/news/economics/flashback-friday-interstate-commerce-commission-1-2
[9] https://www.freightwaves.com/news/freightwaves-classicsleaders-jp-morgan-greatly-influenced-us-railroads-in-the-late-19th-century
[10] https://www.enotrans.org/article/amtrak-at-50-the-rail-passenger-service-act-of-1970/
[11] https://transportgeography.org/contents/applications/rail-deregulation-united-states/