Amtrak Should Exit Commuter-Rail Service Business, Mica Says

Amtrak, the U.S. long-distance passenger railroad, shouldn’t be in the business of operating commuter railroads under contract because it’s a bad deal for taxpayers, the top House Republican overseeing transportation said.

Amtrak, which receives taxpayer support, costs 11.5 percent more than private-sector commuter rail operators, Representative John Mica, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said in a report panel Republicans released today.