Despite having the largest network of train tracks in the world, the United States has a serious lack of passenger rail services. That’s not by accident, as Rollie Williams of Climate Town explains in this video. America’s dearth of passenger rail was a decades-long project by the freight railroads, and since the nationalization of passenger routes through the formation of Amtrak in 1971, passenger rail has mostly hobbled along. But there have been some areas of improvement and ridership has been booming in recent years.
Amtrak Breaks Ridership Records Nationally and in Pacific Northwest » The Urbanist
# Amtrak’s annual ridership was up 5%, hitting an all-time record high of 34.5 million rides nationwide over the last year. Amtrak Cascades also hit a record high, reporting 1.4% growth and coming in just short of joining the one-million-ride club.
Doug Trumm
