Amtrak was established by the Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970 and began operations on May 1, 1971. It was created to relieve the struggling railroad corporations of their historic obligation to carry passengers. Half a century of public investment in highways and air travel had undermined the ability of railroads to provide passenger service at a profit and was causing a crisis in the industry. (Check out Episode 2 of our main series for an in-depth exploration of this history.) So the public bailed the railroads out by creating Amtrak, a quasi-public corporation that would henceforth carry passengers across almost the entire U.S. rail network.

Knox Ross is chair of the Southern Rail Commission, an interstate rail compact between Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama that advocates for and engages stakeholders around the expansion and revitalization of rail service in the region.

In this timely Rail Bite, Mr. Ross—who is also a practicing Certified Public Accountant—illuminates some of the widespread misconceptions behind the expectation that passenger trains turn a profit.

If you look at Amtrak’s national network on a map, you will see a giant hole spanning roughly a third of the contiguous United States. Two states in this area, Wyoming and South Dakota, have no intercity passenger rail service at all. The lone route that crosses the northern tier of the country through Idaho, Montana, and North Dakota lies far away from most of the major cities in each state.

In this timely meditation, author and professor David Alff probes the inner tension of rail transport in the U.S.: that it is expected to make a profit while providing an essential public service.

Meredith Richards is chair of the Rail Passengers Association—the country’s largest passenger rail advocacy organization—and president of the Virginia Rail Policy Institute.

Those who follow U.S. passenger rail closely know that Virginia has accomplished a lot in the last several years, and Mrs. Richards has been one of the figures at the center of it all.

John Robert Smith is chairman of Transportation for America. He is a former chair of Amtrak's Board of Directors and served 16 years as mayor of his hometown of Meridian, Mississippi. He first became a passenger rail champion while serving as mayor, when Amtrak proposed cutting service through Meridian, and he has since become a highly respected voice for restoring and revitalizing passenger service around the country.

If you have ever wondered what happened to our once-great passenger rail system—or how the U.S. became so car-dependent that many Americans today ride trains for the first time when they travel abroad—then this episode is for you.

With the help of our truly brilliant guests, we piece together a story that absolutely must be understood today, as we strive to create a transportation system that works for all of us, without polluting communities and the environment.

Our guests in this episode include three book authors, two board members for the country’s largest passenger rail advocacy group, a railroad industry veteran, and an award-winning policy analyst. We are so grateful to each and every person who took the time to share their voice and expertise with us.

Reconnect America is the new podcast from Solutionary Rail that presents a creative yet common sense vision for U.S. railroads. It weaves together the genius of community and technical experts, workers and policymakers, advocates and scholars. Reconnect America reflects a decade of research, writing, and advocacy aimed at illuminating the ways in which the U.S. rail system can be harnessed to better service public interests and to address 21st century problems.

How can railroads reduce political polarization—and facilitate a renewable energy revolution? Reconnect America is the new podcast from Solutionary Rail that presents a creative yet common sense vision for U.S. railroads. It weaves together the genius of community and technical experts, workers and policymakers, advocates and scholars. Reconnect America reflects a decade of research, writing, and advocacy aimed at illuminating the ways in which the U.S. rail system can be harnessed to better service public interests and to address 21st century problems.