Why does America have so few trains?

While the US was a passenger train pioneer in the 19th century, after WWII, railways began to decline. The auto industry was booming, and Americans bought cars and houses in suburbs without rail connections. Highways (as well as aviation) became the focus of infrastructure spending, at the expense of rail.



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Rail systems are so popular in Europe because they can get loads of passengers to their respective destinations en masse — with much less of an impact on the environment. National governments, looking to reduce carbon emissions and put pro-environmental policy into practice, subsidize or own entire rail networks.

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The United States has the largest rail transport network size of any country in the world, at a total of approximately 160,000 miles (260,000 km).

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The Great Depression of the 1930s forced some railroad companies into bankruptcy, creating hundreds of miles of disowned and subsequently abandoned railway properties; other railroad companies found incentive to merge or reorganize, during which excess or redundant rights-of-way were abandoned.

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The auto industry was booming, and Americans bought cars and houses in suburbs without rail connections. Highways (as well as aviation) became the focus of infrastructure spending, at the expense of rail.

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Americans might travel by train — and then only as one potential transportation option — only in very specific circumstances: along Amtrak's Northeast Corridor between Boston and New York and Washington, DC, and also within some (few, relatively speaking) major metropolitan areas — New York, Boston, Chicago, among them ...

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American trains aren't great — but you should still take them anyway. Long-distance trains in the US are very slow, but it's much more environmentally friendly and rewarding.

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The simple answer is that most railroads in Europe are government owned, while most railroads in America are private.

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The average Swiss person travels 2,430 km by train each year (the highest in the world), almost 500 more than the average Japanese person (the second highest).

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Ultimately, it comes down to what you're looking for in a railway system. American railways are significantly more efficient and cost-effective at moving freight cargo for businesses, whereas European railways offer a much smoother and more scenic experience for their rail passengers.

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The most common form of penalty for train surfers is a fine, however, in some countries, such as the United States or Canada, train surfers can be not only fined, but imprisoned too.

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Trespassing on the railway is illegal and dangerous. You could be taken to court and face a £1,000 fine. For this reason, when we see someone trespassing, we have to stop all trains in the vicinity to remove trespassers, check for damage and clear blockages.

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The TGV (French: Train à Grande Vitesse, high-speed train; previously TurboTrain à Grande Vitesse) is France's intercity high-speed rail service, operated by SNCF.

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Trenitalia's Paris to Milan route was first introduced in December 2021, serviced by Hitachi Rail's ETR1000. This super high speed train travels at 300km/h - with the ability to go400km/h if not limited by track regulations - making it the fastest train in Europe.

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The interstate highway system cost $129 billion — roughly $290 billion in current dollars — and took 35 years to complete, running from 1957 to 1992. The $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill enacted in 2021 has $102 billion for rail, but none of the money is set aside for high-speed rail.

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