Originally Posted by
Superguy
Amtrak's heavily subsidized by the government, so I wouldn't necessarily call them private.
That said, I'm not sure where they derive legal authority to have police. I'm sure someone more knowledgeable on here would have that answer.
They are sworn LEO's on [permanent] Amtrak detail. There are many similar agencies around the country-- usually in major cities in conjunction with mass transit.