Why is train travel not popular in the US?

Why is train travel not popular in the US? We have lots of passenger trains in the USA, the vast majority are commuter trains on the East Coast, and some around other major cities. If you mean long distance, cross country passenger trains then the answer is simple, the distance is too great, and there are far better options for travel than taking the train.

Are trains becoming obsolete?

No. Trains continue to be the cheapest form of long distance land transportation for freight there is. Ships and barges can carry more cargo for less, but they cannot transit the large land masses and certainly not as fast. Long Haul Trucks are the closest comparison but they cannot compete either.

Is train travel still popular?

Last spring, Amtrak's ridership was up 86 percent over the same period in 2020—and it's now around 65 percent of 2019 ridership levels. “We are seeing a ton of new customers,” says Roger Harris, Amtrak's executive vice president and chief marketing officer.

Why do people not travel by train?

Overcrowded, unreliable and comparatively expensive. My trains are delayed every day, that's the only thing that is reliable! Often I check the train times online on my way to the station and they look to be running on time. I get to the station to find that they are usually running at least 5-10 mins late.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of traveling by train?

What year were trains most popular?

Railroads took off in the United States because cars and airplanes hadn't been invented yet! Trains served as the most important mode of transportation during a period of time called “The Golden Age” of railroads, which lasted from the 1880s until the 1920s.

Is it safer to travel by train or car?

Trains are statistically much safer than driving. In 2020, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics recorded 40,867 total deaths from travel, including in planes, in cars on highways and on trains.

When did trains stop being popular?

Between an 18-year span following the year after World War II, 1946, passenger traffic declined from 770 million to 298 million by 1964. By the 1950s total industry losses on passenger rail service was over $700 million. Commuter trains declined by 80% from over 2,500 in the mid-1950s to under 500 by the late 1960s.

Why don t more people take Amtrak?

There are many reasons for this. There is limited service between cities (Amtrak says it runs 300 trains with about 87,000 passengers per day), freight is often prioritized over passenger service in the U.S., and trains and facilities are often outdated.

Do hobos still ride trains?

For a variety of reasons the practice is less common in the 21st century, although a community of freight-train riders still exists. Typically, hoppers will go to a rail yard where trains stop to pick up and unload freight and switch out crew.

Do Americans still travel by train?

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.

Is train travel popular in the US?

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.

Do people still ride trains in the US?

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 ...

Is it worth it to travel by train?

“Generally speaking, traveling by plane is faster and more convenient, but can be more expensive and stressful. On the other hand, traveling by train is usually cheaper and more comfortable, but can take much longer.”

Are trains making a comeback in the US?

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.

Why did trains become less popular?

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.

Why would anyone use Amtrak?

There are several reasons why someone might choose to ride Amtrak even when air travel is cheaper: 1. Convenience: Amtrak trains often connect city centers, making it more convenient for travelers to reach their destination without the need for additional transportation from airports to city centers. 2.

Why is Amtrak struggling?

December 2, 2022 The staffing shortage plaguing American businesses of all kinds continues to bite down hard at Amtrak, whose leadership acknowledged yesterday during a public Board of Directors meeting in St. Louis that despite their best efforts those shortages are going to keep crimping service for much of 2023.

Is Amtrak cheaper than flying?

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.

Is Amtrak safer than driving?

HOW SAFE ARE TRAINS? Trains are statistically much safer than driving. In 2020, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics recorded 40,867 total deaths from travel, including in planes, in cars on highways and on trains.