So its the R's not funding AMTRAK that is to blame, not the Engineer who was going 2X the speed limit? OK, if you want to take that tack.
BTW, read this
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/washington/story/2012-08-02/amtrak-congress-food-beverage-losses/56719770/1
"
The company's food and beverage cars have lost $833.8 million over the last decade, including $84.5 million in 2011, according to testimony at a congressional hearing Thursday.
The reason: the difference between Amtrak's costs and what it charges passengers. For example, taking overhead into account, each cheeseburger costs Amtrak $16.15 and each can of soda costs $3.40. But Amtrak charges passengers only $9.50 and $2 for those items."
Hasn't anyone told AMTRAK that that Coke and Pepsi will install vending machines for free and stock them for free and split the profits with the Host? I guess not.
$84.5 million per year out of a $1.5 Billion annual subsidy from Congress is about 5% of their budget goes to subsidize burgers and sodas because they can't figure out how to buy and sell refreshments.
This is how your Federal government spends money.