Amtrak's imperiled success story

It’s hard to believe, but Amtrak’s Acela is old. Way back in the year 2000, the U.S. government did something that would become an unusual occurrence in the new millennium: launch an infrastructure success. Yet this victory isn’t the triumph that it could have been — and it may even turn into defeat.

Last month, Amtrak, the federally owned railway, ordered new trains for the Acela route — because the trains Acela riders still think of as “new” will soon be two decades old. The trains, plus some station improvements to go with them, will cost $2.45 billion.