Unfortunately, this 'Golden Age' of rail travel quietly slipped away as the public abandoned trains for the freedom of the open road and speed of the airliner. In addition, long-distance travel provided even great accommodations including full-service sleepers, five-star dining, club/parlor cars, domes for unparalleled scenic views, and much more. In many ways the private services then were far superior than what you will find today with comfortable reclining-seat coaches, lounge services, and light-dining provided on some commuter trains. Interestingly, even these operations are making a comeback.

There was also the classic interurban and streetcar systems, most of which went extinct by the World War II era. In the days prior to federally-funded Amtrak and other state commuter rail agencies, the primary means of rail travel came by way of the private freight railroads for both intercity and local services. This particular section looks to generally cover your train travel options if you are looking to take a trip by train information regarding such can be found here, whether it might be a long distance ride aboard Amtrak or a commuter train in your local area. The history of rail travel has been well document at other areas of the website. It has been shown over and over the public will ride trains if they are available. However, lack of funding continues to stunt greater ridership. Passenger trains are slowly becoming a popular means of

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