| Have you ever wanted to travel across the United | | | | passenger cars actively being used in the year 1929. |
| States on a train? Well, most people do not realize | | | | Due to the introduction of the car though, rail roads |
| that it is actually possible now. Industrial goods are one | | | | suffered greatly. In fact, whereas travelling was almost |
| of the first things that come to my mind when thinking | | | | always done by rail road at one point, by 1940 it was |
| of the current conditions of the rail road industry. The | | | | only 67% of the travelling miles occurring in the United |
| reason is because passenger trains are relatively few | | | | States was done by rail road. |
| and far between in comparison. However, Amtrak | | | | World War II did, however, make a drastic change in |
| was first introduced in May of 1971. Amtrak is a | | | | the rail road industry. The government was forced to |
| reference to the corporation ran by the government | | | | put fuel consumption restrictions on people in the |
| that is responsible for the American Track. This is the | | | | United States. Almost all fuel was needed for troop |
| largest and perhaps one of only a few passenger train | | | | movement throughout the war. With that said, many |
| agencies in America. | | | | people returned to the rail roads once again to do any |
| Amtrak is actually relatively big. It has almost 19,000 | | | | travelling at long distances. |
| employees and the tracks cover 21,000 miles (33,800 | | | | After the war though, people began using their cars |
| km). With over 500 destinations and covering 46 | | | | again for travelling. The rail road industry was failing |
| states, it is definitely a viable travelling method. The | | | | miserably. By 1946 after the war, there were 45 |
| year 2007 was a good one for Amtrak. It saw a 6% | | | | percent fewer passenger carts being used than there |
| increase in the amount of passengers using their | | | | were in 1929. It did not stop there, and the decline even |
| service from 2006. | | | | fell greater by 1969 by a drop rate of 80 percent. |
| To fully understand the impact of Amtrak you have to | | | | There were very few trains that generated profits at |
| go back in history to view the turns that the rail road | | | | all and many were producing losses. |
| industry has taken. Almost everyone who understands | | | | Thanks to the government though, the rail road |
| the history of the United States knows that for about | | | | industry was somewhat bailed out through |
| 70 years up until about 1920 if you were going to | | | | government funding. The federal aid was a sum of |
| travel a relatively long distance you would almost | | | | $40 million and Amtrak began operations with a $100 |
| always use the rail road. At that point in time, the rail | | | | million insured loan. Amtrak started slow and by 1981 |
| roads were almost all owned privately and were in | | | | they were $1.25 billion in debt. Aid to Amtrak has been |
| existence for profit. In fact, there were more rail road | | | | controversial however, Amtrak is slowly beginning to |
| passenger cars back then than there are now. | | | | see profits and the rail road industry is now improving |
| According to historians there were about 65,000 | | | | as more people find it as a viable source of travelling. |