America’s passenger rail is struggling. American rail is far slower, more expensive and less reliable than its global counterparts. American rail fare is almost twice as much per mile as that of Europe; even so, those trips almost always average slower speeds. On the Northeast Regional, which travels between Washington D.C. and Boston and is by far Amtrak’s most popular and profitable route, trains arrive on time only 77% of the time. On the Empire Builder, between Chicago and Seattle, trains were on time a mere 59% of the time. In contrast, Japanese bullet trains are so punctual they have an average delay of just 36 seconds. There are a lot of reasons for America’s failing railways, and the state of American rail is no doubt a complex issue. However, it is also an incredibly important one. Passenger rail represents one of the most environmentally friendly and efficient forms of transport. America should be embracing passenger rail, not ignoring it. Simply put, America must address the woes of its railways.
The roots of America’s railway woes lie in the 1970 Rail Passenger Service Act. This legislation established America’s national passenger rail system, Amtrak. At that time, passenger rail was operated by a variety of private companies across the country. These private companies were on the brink of collapse, having lost the majority of their passengers to cars and air travel. Amtrak was established to save passenger rail, consolidating all of the private railways under one for-profit entity that would be subsidized by the government. Unfortunately, there is an inherent contradiction in Amtrak’s structure. Amtrak was created out of the understanding that private rail would likely never be profitable again, yet Amtrak itself was established as a for-profit entity. Even with government subsidies, Amtrak would never be able to succeed; and most involved expected the system to collapse within a few years.
This situation has placed Amtrak in an awkward limbo for most of its existence. On one hand, Amtrak is designed to be a national passenger rail service that caters to all of America’s passenger rail needs. Amtrak is required to operate passenger routes even when they are unpopular and unprofitable. On the other hand, as a struggling for-profit entity, even with government subsidies, Amtrak seldom has the resources or profit motive to expand or upgrade its popular and profitable services.
Further complicating Amtrak’s operations is the issue of rail ownership. Over 97% of Amtrak’s passenger routes travel on railways owned by private companies, most often freight railroads. This causes two problems for American rail. The first is that railway owners have little incentive to upgrade or expand their tracks. Secondly, because freight is far more lucrative, the owners of these railways prioritize freight shipments and freight infrastructure far above the needs of Amtrak’s passenger rail. Even in areas where Amtrak does own the rail, primarily in the Northeast Corridor, Amtrak’s infrastructure is in desperate need of repairs, with some bridges dating back as far as 1880. To make matters worse, America’s eminent domain laws would make any attempt by Amtrak to construct its own railways a costly endeavor.
Fortunately, Amtrak is not beyond saving. First and foremost, Amtrak should become a not-for-profit, fully state operated utility. The reality is that Amtrak, so long as it is obligated to operate passenger rails outside the popular Northeast Corridor routes, will probably never be profitable. Accepting this reality will allow Amtrak to be managed in a manner that is not only going to attract new riders, but is also going to allow Amtrak to best meet public need. Lifting Amtrak’s burden to profit will allow the service to reduce fares, as popular routes will need not subsidize unpopular ones. It will also allow Amtrak to focus more on expanding and improving its current services. If Americans are going to be riding trains as opposed to alternatives such as airplanes, there must be some sort of government subsidization of fares. Reshaping Amtrak into a not-for-profit entity is going to make this easier to accomplish, and help create an affordable and popular passenger rail system.
Secondly, the federal government should allocate significantly more funds to Amtrak for infrastructure repairs and upgrades. If Amtrak is going to expand its ridership, it will need up-to-date infrastructure to ensure fast, reliable and safe travel. Estimates have concluded there are over 38 billion dollars in repairs to be done in the Northeast Corridor alone, a price tag Amtrak will not be able to meet without proper Government funding. Furthermore, construction of a high-speed rail system in the Northeast, whose speeds would compare to those in Japan, would cost upwards of 150 billion dollars. There is also the issue of rail ownership; Amtrak could use new funds to purchase railways – or even construct new ones where possible. These are undoubtedly large investments, but they are absolutely within the realm of possibility. If President Trump truly wants to fulfil his plan for 1 trillion in infrastructure spending, that money will be well spent on Amtrak.
All of this begs the question: is Amtrak worth saving? Does America really need passenger rail? The answer is a resounding “yes.” Most importantly, the environmental benefits of rail travel make it a desirable alternative for the future. Typical trains have a per passenger carbon dioxide emissions rate less than half than that of a typical car. This will only continue to improve as the energy infrastructure that powers our electric trains relies more and more on renewables. Getting cars off the streets, and getting Americans to take the train is a viable way to significantly cut down our greenhouse gas emissions. Passenger rail is also more efficient than flying, making the environmental benefits of passenger rail applicable to all both long a shorter distance travels. It is undeniable that an America reliant on its passenger rail, as opposed to airlines and automobiles, would produce significantly less carbon dioxide.
So, for the sake of the environment, it is time for America to save our passenger rail. By turning Amtrak into a national utility, and by investing significantly into our rail infrastructure, we can build a reliable, fast and energy efficient passenger rail network in this country. Passenger rail offers a compelling opportunity to significantly fight climate change, and improve the commutes of millions of Americans. However, these benefits will only be accessible if the federal government is willing to invest in our passenger rail, and create an organizational structure for Amtrak that is not built to fail. We can, and we must, get America’s trains back on track.