Deeply frustrating are situations where Congress assures failure, after which those who wanted failure can say “told you so!” So, for example, the Internal Revenue Service budget has been cut in nominal and inflation-adjusted dollars since 2010. Now, Congressional Republicans—who are hardly fans of taxes or the IRS—blame delays and poor service on a poorly functioning Internal Revenue Service.

Today, though, I am focusing on Amtrak.

The Sunset Limited, Saturday morning, April 24, on the way to New Orleans

Why America Can’t Have Great Trains? by Simon Van Zuylen-Wood for National Journal on April 18, and the Japanese maglev train, caught my eye and provided the inspiration for this piece.

Amtrak has been around since 1970. It was created during