Amtrak celebrates 50 years
When America’s passenger trains fell on hard times and 20 different railroads discontinued their services, Amtrak was formed and set to work knitting together a network from the pieces.
The company went into service on May 1, 1971, with 184 trains serving 43 states through 21 routes – the first service rolling out of New York City en route to Philadelphia.
But with ageing equipment and passenger numbers in decline, Amtrak faced a formidable set of challenges.
It brought in new electric heating and lighting systems, while ordering a whole new fleet of single-deck carriages capable of high-speed service, as well as daring ‘double-decker’ ones that would provide roomy and comfortable accommodation on western routes.
In 1976, Amtrak took over most of the badly deteriorated lines between Washington, New York and Boston from the bankrupt Penn Central Railroad.
Some considered this a liability, but they saw potential inherent in a direct route that linked the population centres of the East Coast, and with a lot of hard work, built it into a 125mph railroad.
In the 1990s, Amtrak began its programme to bring high-speed rail to America with the Acela Express.
It rebuilt parts of the Northeast Corridor, improved the electric overhead power system so that all the trains would be faster, and partnered with firms Bombardier Transportation and Alstom to bring a fast, comfortable high-speed service to the North East.
Today it has more than 17,000 employees and a national system connecting more than 500 destinations across 46 states, the District of
Columbia and three Canadian provinces, on more than 21,400 miles of routes.
amtrak.com