Part 6/16:
Originally, the legislation mandated that Amtrak operate as a profit-driven entity inheriting outdated private rail stock and sharing tracks with freight companies. However, by 1978, Congress quietly amended this through a minor change—adding a phrase that the company “shall be operated and managed as a for-profit corporation.” This shift granted Amtrak a bit more flexibility, implicitly acknowledging that profitability wasn’t achievable given the current infrastructure and market conditions. Since then, Amtrak's primary goal has been to provide an efficient, modern passenger rail system rather than to necessarily make money.