[Beta_Magellan]

Although I don’t have time at the moment to look up anything exact, in the 1970s Amtrak did try the whole multiple-trains-per-day strategy on existing long distance lines it got them nowhere—costs grew quicker than ridership. The travel times for rail along those corridors is simply not competitive, and increased frequency does not make up for the fact that a plane will be quicker. Any Amtrak reorganization will mean either getting rid of long-distance trains or having passengers pay luxury cruise prices for them (there might be a niche for a few overnight services for passengers who prefer sleeping in transit to plane + hotel, but overnight trains are still fairly expensive to run).

There’s also an opportunity cost with running more trains along existing Amtrak long-distance routes—a fast train takes up line capacity that can be used by slower, more profitable freights.