Passenger train service in the United States developed in 1830 and continued to grow in popularity through the century. By 1920, trains carried 1.2 billion passengers annually.
The popularity of automobiles and airplanes negatively impacted train travel from 1929 to 1970. As a result, president Nixon established Amtrak in 1971, allowing it to serve as the sole provider of long-distance train travel in the United States.
Many passenger trains today feature sleeper compartments, and fine-dining, observation and glass-domed cars.
Amtrak serves 46 states and over 500 destinations. The most popular route remains the Northeast Corridor, servicing the East Coast daily from Boston to Washington, D.C.
Amtrak does not provide the same type of service commonly found in Europe or Asia. Trains often run late, and are some of the slowest modes of transportation in the United States.
