For decades now, passenger rail use has been steadily declining in the US, and although the country is criss-crossed with extensive railway tracks, the majority of these are used to carry freight, not passengers.
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Travelling by train in the USA is an excellent way to see vast swathes of this vast country, especially if you're on a budget. While the USA's national rail operator Amtrak won't get you everywhere, it's pretty darn extensive, with thirty routes throughout travelling to over 500 destinations across 46 states.
Americans don't ride trains nearly as much as other first-world citizens. Why? AMERICA has by far the largest rail network in the world, with more than twice as much track as China. But it lags far behind other first-world countries in ridership.
Most of Amtrak's 31 million passengers travel fewer than 400 miles (650 kilometers) one-way. Those travelers, according to Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari, probably wouldn't go by plane. Our primary [regional] competition is people driving their personal vehicles, writes Magliari via email.
The number of passengers who travel aboard Amtrak's railcars typically amount to over 30 million passengers per year. The number of passengers traveling aboard Amtrak's long-distance railcars usually exceeds four million passengers. Amtrak's railcar fleet comprises over 1,300 passenger cars.
The simple answer is, “Because we don't want them.” The slightly longer answer is, “because the fastest trains are slower than flying; the most frequent trains are less convenient than driving; and trains are almost always more expensive than either flying or driving.”
The numbers for high-speed rail can vary anywhere from 20 to 80 million per mile. The big reason why America is behind on high-speed rail is primarily money. We don't commit the dollars needed to build these systems, it's really as simple as that.
It's no secret that train travel in the US is expensive compared to other developed countries around the world. This is due to the fact that the US government has allocated fewer resources to high speed rail projects.
The infrastructure that was transferred to Amtrak's management was also aging rapidly and required repairs. However, perhaps the biggest issue of all was that under the Rail Passenger Service Act, Amtrak did not gain ownership of the majority of the railroad tracks that their trains ran on.
While not nearly as expensive, taking an Amtrak train across the US is also largely the domain of rail enthusiasts as it takes multiple days and costs significantly more than flying. In countries like Japan, South Korea and much of Europe, the opposite is true as the train is simply a way to travel larger distances.
Privately-owned passenger rail lines are popping up in the U.S. which could make getting to popular vacation destinations easier. Travelers could soon have more options to get where they're going, thanks to new train routes.
The Federal Railroad Administration does not currently set any limits on train lengths – and also doesn't regularly track train lengths or their associated risks. That has allowed freight railroad companies to occasionally operate trains up to 8 kilometres (5 miles) long.
Japan: L0 Series Maglev (374 mph)Although not yet in regular service, this Japanese train, which is currently being developed and tested by the Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central), holds the land speed record for rail vehicles, clocking in at 374 mph.
Trains are Reliable and Stress FreeWith high-speed rail, train travel is always faster than driving. In many cases, it's even faster than flying, once you factor in the whole air travel song-and-dance. And if you do need to catch a plane, trains make it easier to get to the airport.
The USA has an excellent rail network for visitors, and although only a skeleton network by European standards it'll take you to almost all the towns & cities a visitor wants to see, in comfort at affordable prices. It'll take you to many of the U.S. national parks, too.