Part 4/16:
This lukewarm reception, however, masks an underlying reality: Amtrak is quietly making progress. Despite the imperfect launch and widespread skepticism, the service has been demonstrating resilience and incremental improvement. Amtrak’s numbers have reached some of their best in history, challenging the narrative of a failing system. The core of this success lies not in flashy new trains or new lines but in small, strategic wins—viable routes, increased frequencies, and smarter operations.