Backbone of an Industry

Amtrak president Joe Boardman tells us that America needs a national passenger rail system and that Amtrak is that system. Every part of the United States should be connected by rail regardless of the inevitable problems that come with trying to keep a schedule. The Northeast Corridor with 40 million people living within 40 miles of its tracks has sufficient population density to support high speed rail, but the US may not make the necessary investment. Rail receives disproportionately low federal resources as compared to other modes of transportation. The switch from conventional to high-speed rail is costly due to the need for electrification and to remove all at-grade crossings; only the Northeast Corridor is electrified. A switch to true high-speed rail would require trains skipping stops to create an express service.