I think one of the biggest embarrassments facing our nation today is the state of our national passenger rail system. And I’m not just talking about the level of customer service provided by Amtrak, which is variable, as anyone who rides frequently on different routes across the country knows. I’m talking about those routes themselves. I’m talking about major cities throughout the nation that have no passenger rail service whatsoever. This is ridiculous. Las Vegas and Phoenix stand out as big examples, but how about these (after the map):

from Amtrak.com

Trace a route from Memphis to Little Rock.

Or from Oklahoma City to Kansas City.

Albuquerque to Salt Lake City? It would be quicker to walk than to try to connect those dots… [Unless you truly consider buses a respectable part of a national rail system(?)]

What reason can we truly convince ourselves of to explain why these relatively close cities lack direct passenger rail links?
Please sign this petition to the White House to create a real intercity passenger rail system. Let’s re-join the First World.

Tagged: Amtrak, intercity passenger rail, intercity rail, petition, train travel, trains, transportation, White House