The verdict: Train travel is a necessary investment for the US. Train travel brings economic growth to communities serviced by Amtrak and other rail options. According to the APTA, the U.S. can't build enough highways or airport runways to support the continued growth of the U.S. population.
With the invention of the railway, that all changed. Now most people had faster means to get to and from work, transport goods, as well as travel for vacations or business trips. Unfortunately, lower class families could not afford to use the train so they had to live closer to their work.
The railroad opened the way for the settlement of the West, provided new economic opportunities, stimulated the development of town and communities, and generally tied the country together.
Once a COVID-19 vaccine is discovered and travel levels return to normal, we do expect to see a renewed interest in rail travel, including high-speed lines, as an alternative to airplanes and cars. Trains are a more cost-effective, environmentally friendly way of moving people between regional cities.
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.
On average, railroads are three to four times more fuel efficient than trucks on a ton-mile basis. For example, Union Pacific can move one ton of freight 444 miles on a single gallon of diesel fuel, generating a carbon footprint up to 75% less than trucks, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR).
Railroads haul the most freight of any form of transport in terms of ton-miles, a measure of cargo volume that considers weight and distance carried. Railroads now haul 40 percent of total U.S. freight, up from 27 percent in 1980, according to U.S. Bureau of Transportation data.
One of the biggest environmental benefits of trains is that they consume far less energy than other types of transport. It takes a huge amount of fuel to get a plane carrying hundreds of people airborne, whereas trains are streamlined, require much less energy to move, and are increasingly able to run on electricity.