Why don't Americans ride trains?

The Economist ^ | 29 Aug 2013 | Economist

[Cronos]

AMERICA has by far the largest rail network in the world, with more than twice as much track as China. But it lags far behind other first-world countries in ridership. Instead of passengers, most of America's massive rail network is used to carry freight. Why don't Americans ride trains?

..the Japanese, the Swiss, the French, the Danes, the Russians, the Austrians, the Ukrainians, the Belarussians and the Belgians all accounted for more than 1,000 passenger-kilometres by rail in 2011; Americans accounted for 80. Amtrak carries 31m passengers per year. Mozambique's railways carried 108m passengers in 2011.

There are many reasons why Americans don't ride the rails as often as their European cousins. Most obviously, America is bigger than most European countries. Outside the northeast corridor, the central Texas megalopolis, California and the eastern Midwest, density is sometimes too low to support intercity train travel. Underinvestment, and a preference for shiny new visions over boring upgrades, has not helped. Most American passenger trains travel on tracks that are owned by freight companies. That means most trains have to defer to freight services, leading to lengthy delays that scare off passengers who want to arrive on time.

[hal ogen]

Main reason to avoid “public” transportation: You have to be next to LIBs. There are limits to human tolerance.

[alexander_busek]

Intercity buses are starting to catch on in Germany because their fares are lower cost than the high-speed trains as well as having more flexible schedules they were recently legalized.(*)

There, fixed it for you!

Regards,

(*)True, technically speaking they weren't actually illegal - but they were so heavily regulated as to be virtually illegal.

[SamAdams76]

One good thing about the railways in the U.S. is that eventually you can tear up the track and convert it to a "rail trail".

Now many here on Free Republic growl, spit, hiss and boo when rail trails are mentioned because they are associated with do-gooder liberals who wear the funny bicycle helmets and get $3200 carbon composite mountain bikes to ride between Starbucks - where they sip $6 lattes - to Ben & Jerry's, where they purchase $5 scoops of "fuzzy bear" ice cream named after dead rock stars.

However, I make use of the rail trails in my area to walk my dog. It's a nice way to take a 4 or 5 mile walk without having to cross intersections, navigate crowded and decrepit sidewalks, and deal with arm-crossed old ladies who are worried your dog might pee or defecate in the vicinity of their postage stamp sized yards that are littered with bottle caps, cigarette butts and empty drink containers.

The only annoyance are the aforementioned bicyclists who always find it necessary to holler "on your left" in their shrill Mike Dukakis voices as they breeze by you on their overpriced Treks and Cannondales - bristling with water bottles and wearing brightly colored spandex outfits. But so long as you keep to the right, you will be okay.

Willie Greene - We used to know him here as the "choo-choo" guy. He was always advocating for government built high-speed railways linking together such towns as Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Joplin, Missouri.

[nomad]

Love of personal freedom and independence of travel. In a motor vehicle you leave when you want and distance/speed limitations allowing, arrive when you desire.

[HartleyMBaldwin]

“It costs more to drive and fly, but you can stay away from the smelly, noisy, rude underclass.”

Not in my car, you can’t.

[Oratam]

brilliant analysis

[Kackikat]

WOW that is so sad. I was very young, and the trains were my transportation to places I didn’t feel comfortable walking to, or later driving. In fact, I went to NYC (which meant a trip into Philly to change trains) D C, and used them locally while there, the very”’rail-trailed’ haven for muggers now.”

I only re visited SE PA twice by car, both quick trips, however America sure missed it, when it came to using the infrastructure wisely. Maybe the huge trains did not make sense financially, but ONE engine, and a passenger car or two streamlined could have succeeded...maybe?

Our prosperous years made our country forget the Great Depression and the fact we would one day repeat that terrible time....that time is now. Inflation makes a car a real luxury for those on minimum wage, or part time ....anywhere.

Your reply answered some questions for me, the high crime rate up there and some of the new ‘warrant less searches of vehicles’ shows a real far left leaning, that wasn’t there when I was. Those smaller towns used the trains to get people to and from work, my mother road the train for that purpose for a long time.

We now have a few buses going between two major towns here in my area(NC), but service is limited to major highways and getting to the bus stops complicated for the sick or elderly. I’ve always had a small economical car even in the good times. This job market really calls for better cheap transportation especially for the teens and part time jobs, but it isn’t there. There was better bus service here back in the 40s to hear some old timers tell it. Maybe it’s the mindset of this generation? Sad.

[Mears]

“———— and deal with arm-crossed old ladies who are worried your dog might pee or defecate in the vicinity of their postage stamp sized yards ——

—

Jerk! So old ladies with small yards annoy you? How kind.

.

[DH]

I lived in England for 3 years and was really impressed with their public transportation system. It actually worked!

Why?

Each (and every) stop had covered areas to wait for the train or bus.

Each station for the trains was clean and well run.

Each bus stop had maps on the walls along with different colors for different routes...clearly showing what bus to take and where it was going.

All public transportation was very efficient in being on time.

Now, take the American transportation system:

First, you have to have a photographic memory to memorize the routes, times and where they go since NONE of that is posted on the walls of the pick-up points. As a matter of fact most pick-up points are simply a post with a “bus stop” sign on it....nothing else. You have to be born with a complete schedule and city route map in your brain to even suspect where our public transportation will take you...and when!

Second, nothing is ever on time. Our system is 100% unreliable.

Compare England and Europe’s transportation systems and our American system rates a score of F.

[DManA]

Hitler’s dream super railroad:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/3131022/posts

[DManA]

They are always LATE!

Ramsey County leaders joined their peers from St. Paul and the state Wednesday to welcome Amtrak to their meticulously restored depot. The first train, the westbound Empire Builder from Chicago, arrived at 11:13 p.m. -- 70 minutes late -- en route to Seattle and Portland, Ore.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3153993/posts

[cyclotic]

A few years ago, I looked at AMTRAK from Baltimore to Detroit. For comparison, it was about 2 hours by plane and 9 by car. AMTRAK was 17 hours and the same cost as a plane ticket.

[niteowl77]

All sorts of awful delays, and dealing with .... folk.

Heh, heh… "folk." A relative frequently waxed nostalgic about traveling by train, and made one Amtrak trip too many… one with interesting "folk."

(Lots and lots of interesting "folk.")

The bloom went right off the rose with that one trip, and I had to suppress my amusement while listening to the story. "Folk" aren't always fun up close- grandma and grandpa didn't abandon the train because they enjoyed dirt roads and the Model A, they abandoned the train because of other passengers.

Mr. niteowl77

[mad_as_he$$]

If I want to go to Sacramento from Reno (BIG if) I drive the 145 miles, in 2.5 hours with one stop. The bus takes takes 4 hours and costs $65. The train takes 5:45 and costs $88.

[Tanniker Smith]

I remember Conrail, don’t remember the AC line. Too young for that. It’s only recently that the train to AC is direct — you used to have to switch in Philly. Makes those coach buses, which seem to leave from every neighborhood cheap and convenient.

[jjotto]

Population density in UK: 600+ per square mile.

Population density in US: less than 80 per square mile.

These stories always remind me that liberals can’t do math.

[Kackikat]

http://www.transitchicago.com

Your comment does not make sense, because Chicago has a good bus/train transportation system...see link above. AND Los Angeles has a somewhat fair system....you can look that up online.

Trains/Trams/Buses work fine in America’s cities, maybe not in the distant suburbs. Dayton, Ohio electric trollies in 1940s ...Why don’t you research that, and you will find out how America missed the real answer to pubic transportation.

[SamAdams76]

You must be one of them! What is so bad about a dog peeing on the edge of your lawn?

[vetvetdoug]

Any travel to a train station in Chicago, Memphis or New Orleans means taking one’s life into one’s hands. In Memphis one is more likely to be mugged or robbed going to or from the station.

[Marie]

Price!

I’d love to travel by train, especially when my kids were young. But it cost four times more than a flight and, what would take half a days travel by air, takes days of travel by rail.

Hubby and I always dreamed of taking a train tour of the US in our retirement. A cruise to Mexico is cheaper and more pleasant.