Here is a quote taken from a posting made at another site. Agree with it or not, it represents the opinion of a "fellow traveler" on this planet and is as worthy of respect as any views expressed here:
The simpler explanation is that the Board and Mr. Coscia are not doing anything that the railfans want because they do not share the railfan's vision of Amtrak, I have no clue what they believe in, but apparently it is not what many in the railfan/advocate community believe in.
"…..they do not share the railfan's vision of Amtrak"; grief; what goes through the minds of some with whom we share this planet?
The corollary to such is that the Board does not share the vision of the hobbyist Long Distance train traveler. They do not even share the purposeful traveler using an LD, as I believe they recognize that subsidized bus routes over a phase out period serving likely 350 of Amtrak's 500 stations, represent a more economical means to provide transportation to those small number of passengers affected by any LD discontinuances.
While likely not attainable in full, the object of the Board and their "hired hand", Mr. Anderson, appears to be the transformation of Amtrak into a transportation resource serving markets in which such resource is recognized as needed. In the aggregate, the Corridor and the Locally funded routes, put more into the cookie jar than they take out for "gas, lube & oil, car washes, and drivers,". The more the record level of FY 18 funding, and hopefully at the same level in future years, can be directed to infrastructure improvements, Corridor and elsewhere (street running in Ashland or Oakland; "romantic" - but efficient? Chicago area; where to begin!!), the more Amtrak will be recognized as a means to solve transportation problems.
Unfortunately for the Long Distance advocacy "caucus", "Three a Week" through the fastest growing region of the USA, does not.