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About Amtrak

Amtrak is an United States national railroad company. It began operating in 1971. Amtrak is the business name for the National Railroad Passenger Corporation which is a publicly funded for-profit company. From the 1920s to the 1960s, the railroad industry experienced a huge number of setbacks. As cars became popular, passengers were lost to personal automobiles and bus companies like Greyhound. The Great Depression also affected ticket sales. Although part of the popular imagination of the Great Depression involves train riding, these rides were essentially stolen by people who had no money searching for jobs in different areas. World War II was able to reenergize railroads temporarily, but this change did not lost long. Despite the fact that rail was the best and quickest option for inter-city travel, railroad companies simply could not make enough money. Labor unions did not adjust their regulations to modernized equipment and despite attempts by the federal government to standardize rail and train manufacturing, different companies and areas were not compatible. Additionally, the responsiveness of the U.S. government to the needs of the automotive industry encouraged people toward cars and airplanes.

Finally, in 1971, the Rail Passenger Service Act was passed which created a public fund for railroads. This was the basis for Amtrak. Today, Amtrak runs over 300 trains daily, covering 21,300 miles. Its fastest train, the Acela moves as quickly as 150 mph.