National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) - independent federal agency, created in 1970. Amtrak provides a national rail transportation system through its intercity rail passenger service. It operates 300 trains a day, on average, dealing with over 600 stations on a route system that covers about 21,400 route miles. It employs about 20,000 people, and transports about 31.7 million people annually (in fiscal year 1994). Although it earns significant revenues, it cannot survive without a subsidy from the federal government..