It doesn't really matter, because whether public or private, Amtrak will never, ever, ever make a profit in this country due to the United States' geography; unlike most countries, the physical distances in America are so massive, that most people fly for interstate travel. That's why America has a gargantuan airline industry and a microscopic long-distance commercial train industry. People prefer to get to other parts of the country in a few hours, as opposed to a few days.
Last time I was on Amtrak (whose food & service were excellent, I'll admit), I called it the Railroad Hippo Wagon - because it was filled with 300-400 pound human dirigibles who are physically too fat to fit in a narrow airplane seat (Amtrak seats have twice the size and legroom). Whenever I took the staircase in these double-decker cars, I would have to back up and let human blobs pass by, because they filled up the entire stairway; it looked like these gelatinous gastropods had somehow been poured into the stairwell.
