Old train cars may be nostalgic but for Amtrak they are a burden that impacts reliability and the bottom line. Only 80% of their cars are in service and on some routes more seats could be filled if they only existed. Their 60 Auto Train cars are also aging, dating from the early 1960s. Track improvements and security concerns are another large expense. But Amtrak is dependent on government funding to carry out its improvement plans and a House of Representatives panel recently proposed cutting funding to the railroad, following the recommendation of the President. The Senate has not made its proposal on funding yet. Critics point out that cuts in funding to VIA Rail Canada resulted in more cost-effective operations. Amtrak continues to lose money despite government help and there appears to be no end in sight.

Despite the lamentable woes of Amtrak, there is still a romance to cruising the country by rail, the lulling clickety clack, the Doppler-affected clangs of crossings, and, most importantly for me, the absence of car or plane motion nausea. As most of us think about train trips we picture a comfy chair and perhaps a snug little sleeping compartment. But there’s another option for the well-heeled. You can charter a private railroad car. The American Association of Private Railroad Car Owners has listings of cars available for you to rent for parties, unique business trips, honeymoons, whatever your fancy. These cars are attached to Amtrak trains traveling the usual scheduled routes, so you won’t be going anywhere you can’t get to with usual passenger rail. But imagine the luxury of having your own private section of a train! And perhaps then the family pet can come along?

Take a peek at this luxurious car that comes with an executive chef. And there are plenty more to choose from… the Scottish Thistle, Francis L. Suter, Dover Harbor, Northern Sky. The Caritas has Art Deco styling. Read about the inspector-with-an-attitude that kept the Virginia City car off the rails for over a year! The last Presidential rail car is on display in a Miami museum. If you want to buy your very own railroad car, be aware that you may have to pay property tax on it. California’s Private Railroad Car Tax is the only property tax that is collected by the state itself (CA residents pay property taxes to the county).

The Amtrak Reform Council was created in 1997 when Congress approved a five-year plan to fund Amtrak. With those five years now at an end, Amtrak has not managed to create a self-sufficient business and has asked for more money. But the Reform Council has recommended a 3-way breakup of Amtrak’s business: 1. policy, 2. overseeing the tracks, property and stations Amtrak owns in the Northeast Corridor, 3. train operations. Bids for franchises to operate various routes would be accepted in two to five years. Amtrak chairman Michael Dukakis (remember him?) would like their proposal to be rejected. Opinions range widely from those wanting to save the long struggling company and those who wouldn’t mind if it just disappeared, with its tracks and routes going to the highest bidder. I love train travel and have seriously considered taking a scenic long distance trip. But air travel is faster and more affordable. I don’t think the government should throw more money at Amtrak, but I do hope that someone brings the glory back to longer distance train travel in the United States.

I forgot to mention in my trip summary that I also saw an Amtrak Acela whiz by while we were waiting for the commuter rail into New York. I know that’s not a very interesting report since I didn’t ride one or even see it standing still, but it was impressive nonetheless. It was going pretty darn fast. We could’ve taken it to and from Boston instead of driving, but we had things to do that weren’t easy with public transportation.

Amtrak’s Acela, their new high speed “bullet” train, was scheduled to begin service a year ago. But they didn’t make it. The inaugural run is Thursday, with a champagne christening in Washington and fireworks in Boston. Daily service begins on December 11, with 20 trains in service by the summer (according to their current schedule anyway!). They’ve been letting reporters on for test rides. Bullet trains in Japan and France were introduced in the 1960s. The U.S. has been woefully behind, even with its vaster geography. It will take a lot to catch up; most of the country’s railways can’t handle faster trains. If the Acela does not catch on, Amtrak will very likely go under (unless the government gives it a reprieve in the form of more hard cash), and it could take a Dagny Taggert to get another transcontinental railroad up again. (Correction 11/21: France’s TGV actually started commercial service in 1981. Thanks Olivier. Can I ever trust newspaper fact checkers?)