Amtrak is sure neither where it is going nor how it will get there. Although the corporation has established broad, vague goals for providing the United States with a quality intercity rail passenger system, no specific plans have been released that detail where this system will go, what frequencies or types of service will be offered, when various segments will be added to the system, or how much it will cost.
Planning is essential to meeting the for-profit goal. Specific objectives must be laid out and a strategy developed to meet those objectives. Included in the strategy should be the necessary steps that must be followed, including financial requirements, equipment needs, marketing tools, and operational policies. Laying out a plan that shows how the objectives can be obtained in a logical, orderly manner increases the probability for support in the political arena. States and local communities are then able to know when they can expect improvements in service. Decision makers responsible for appropriation of the necessary capital funds and operating subsidies are able to determine when investments will pay off and see at what point subsidy requirements will decline.