To the Point

Amtrak and the Future of Rail in America

In the 19th century, it was the big new thing. Now, although everybody loves to talk about the romance of rail travel, passenger trains today run a distant third to plane and car travel in the US. Amtrak continues to lose millions of dollars each year despite subsidies like the recent $ 100 million bailout that Congress awarded the national rail service to carry it through September 30. But then what? Can David Gunn, the agency's new president turn the system around? Does train travel have a future in a nation of fliers and drivers? We speak with a member of a government reform commission, a financial expert, and leaders of three consumer organizations that are working to increase passenger rail use. Sara Terry guest hosts. Newsmaker: Postponed Revamping of FBI and CIA Today's Washington Post reports that lawmakers are postponing an intelligence agency overhaul for the FBI and CIA until they establish a Department of Homeland Security. Staff writer Walter Pincus, who wrote today's article, explains how the delay will result in increased coordination of security and communication. Reporter's Notebook: Kosovo Revisited The aftermath of war rarely garners much attention. Once the conflict is over, the media moves on to other stories in other places. But one reporter who covered the war in Kosovo, found himself drawn back. Justin Brown, a freelance writer and contributor to the Christian Science Monitor, returned recently to revisit the people and places he knew during the war.