I must raise the question: do the "powers that be" want Amtrak deficits eliminated?
Furthermore, as Amtrak directs itself towards the services providing meaningful public benefit (LD advocates disagree, but that means corridors) the effect of the record appropriations will come to bear adversely upon Net Income (Loss).
Reviewing the Audited Financial Statements and the integral Notes thereto, you'll find that the Appropriation ($1.9 FY 19 and likely thereabouts for 20) is credited as received to a Paid In Capital account. This is largely offset by a Retained Earnings Deficit (not the way it should be, but the product of a government agency keeping its books as if it were a private sector Corporation). Since the Appropriation supports in large part, infrastructure improvements to the Corridor which are charged to a Capital account such as Property, Plant, and Equipment, such amounts will be charged to expense, i.e. Depreciation, over future accounting periods representing the useful life of such. Those amounts expended to support the LD's and the HQ bureaucracy are of course Expense in the current period.
But the point I make is that as higher Depreciation Expense is charged, it will be more difficult to achieve Net Income under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.
Now returning to the statement with which I opened this post; do they WANT deficits to be eliminated. Much as that is the objective of any for profit business entity, Amtrak is confronted with a Congress looking for "facetime" and wondering " if you're making money, why are you coming to us looking for a handout?"
