Months after Washington approved billions to significantly expand Amtrak's footprint across the country, an early attempt at growth has reached an impasse in a test case that could define the American.
At the core of the conflict is a mandate that requires freight railroads to give passenger trains access to rail track and preference over other rail traffic.
On the Gulf Coast, the passenger rail service and freight railroads that control the tracks are in mediation to resolve disputes over Amtrak's proposed service levels.