Amtrak portmanteau

[DivMiler]

Because you are either a rail passenger, a bus passenger, or a air passenger. The set up was and is for carrying rail passengers.

The way I see it, it is not a corporation of rail passengers, but a corporation for passenger rail.

 

[user 1215]

Prevent confusion with NPR?

 

[railbuck]

Which came first, "Railpax" (the name that was almost used instead of Amtrak) or "National Rail Passenger Corporation"?

 

[Ryan]

They came about at the same time, as a part of the legislation that created the NRPC.