[throwanem]

> By law, Amtrak’s passenger trains also have priority over freight traffic. But in practice this doesn’t happen...

Yeah, no kidding! I've always understood the relevant law to be the other way around - granted, this based mostly on what I've heard from other Northeast Regional passengers while we're sitting at a dead stop waiting for a load of orange juice or something to get the hell out of the way, as seems reliably to happen at least once per trip.

[bombcar]

The key is they have scheduling priority - and if they arrive at the segment on time, they get to go - but the moment there's any delay, they lose their slot and the freights are now in priority. Combined with how much of the USA doesn't even have passing sidings let alone double tracks it ends up with "late trains get later".