--CHOICE, publication of the American Library Association, May 1, 2005

"Quoting sources ranging from the Washington Post to the Congressional Record, Vranich relies heavily on comments and reports from third-party sources. The result is an extensively researched book with four appendices that cover 30 pages, as well as an index and nearly 50 pages of footnotes and references. . . . the book’s release is well-timed, as Amtrak reform has become an important tenet of President Bush’s second-term policy."

--Metro Magazine, May 2005

"Mr. Vranich made the conversion from spokesman to scourge, arguing in books titled 'Derailed' and 'End of the Line' that train service would never improve as long as Amtrak had a monopoly on it. . . . Amtrak officials no longer pretend that Acela is the future--they've vowed not to buy any more of the trains--but they insist that they still know the solution to passengers' woes: more money from Washington. Last week, though, the Bush administration adopted Mr. Vranich's idea of giving the federal money to someone other than the folks who brought us the Acela."

--John Tierney, New York Times, April 19, 2005

"If you thought that Amtrak had some redeeming features, you will have forgotten them by the time you reach the end of this well-researched book. Author Joseph Vranich . . . . describes Amtrak as 'the Enron and the WorldCom of transportation', noting that the corporation 'got off lightly' after a 2002 accounting irregularity which he believes was 'as serious' as those two notorious cases."

--Railway Gazette International, April 2005

"This incredible work documents Amtrak’s quest to undermine even mild congressional reforms. End of the Line will inspire a reassessment of Amtrak, a dysfunctional organization that has failed taxpayers and travelers time and again."

—Anthony Haswell, railroad passenger advocate instrumental in the formation of Amtrak

"This book is long overdue. Joe Vranich makes an overwhelming case that Amtrak cannot be 'reformed' but needs to be replaced. And he shows that we don't have to start from scratch, because nearly every other industrialized country has already done something similar, usually with great success."

—Robert W. Poole Jr., director of transportation studies, Reason Foundation

"End of the Line is a serious public policy text that is a page turner right through its appendices. Joe Vranich has assembled a mountain of rock-solid evidence of Amtrak failures and fabrications and the futility of reform efforts. He offers a bright vista for U.S. passenger rail—without Amtrak—that is persuasive and pragmatic because scores of other nations and several of our own states are already leading the way with inspiring results. Meanwhile, the book’s chapter on terrorism should be mandatory reading for every politician and policymaker who makes decisions affecting our nation’s transportation system."

—Nancy Rutledge Connery, member, Amtrak Reform
Council and Blue-Ribbon Panel on Amtrak

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