That's a case of good yield management in the present, maybe minus the runs where standing room only exists. There is a difference between hardly finding a seat and not finding one at all. When I rode 145 last weekend from WAS to LYH, I boarded at coach 5, and couldn't find a window seat until the middle of coach 8 because the train was so full. However, my seat did still exist. I do find it curious, though, that Amtrak management doesn't increase the fare very slightly on the most frequently sold-out portions of its routes, especially the LD trains.If Amtrak growth continues on its present course; in two years you won't even be able to get a seat. Some routes like the NE corridor are already so full during the week that you can hardly find a seat and at times its standing room only.Because "Nobody rides trains anymore"!What I don't understand is why some politicans single out Amtrak when the rail subsidy cost also applies to all other forms of transportation.
The future state that you envision is highly unlikely, since that would mean demand has completely outstripped supply and Amtrak management is watching from the sidelines as every single one of its NEC trains runs sold out. In the case of a fixed resource like train seats, a simple fare increase balances out this equation.
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