History UsefulNotes / Amtrak

* Union Station, UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC is Amtrak's headquarters, the second busiest station, and just a few blocks from the Capitol. Well known for being a tourist attraction in its own right, with beautiful architecture and many shops, not unlike New York's Grand Central Terminal. It is not uncommon for VIP's to be seem riding the train from Washington, the most notable being Delaware Senator (and current [[UsefulNotes/AmericanPoliticalSystem Vice-President]]) Joe Biden, who ''never had a residence in Washington'', and commuted by Amtrak for 20+ years. It has a connection to the UsefulNotes/WashingtonMetro on the latter's Red Line, as well as commuter rail service into Maryland and Virginia by way of MARC and Virginia Railway Express, respectively.

* Union Station, UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC is Amtrak's headquarters, the second busiest station, and just a few blocks from the capitol building. Well known for being a tourists attraction in it's own right, with beautiful architecture and many shops, not unlike New York's Grand Central Terminal. It is not uncommon for VIP's to be seem riding the train from Washington, the most notable being Delaware Senator (and current [[UsefulNotes/AmericanPoliticalSystem Vice-President]]) Joe Biden, who ''never had a residence in Washington'', and commuted by Amtrak for 20+ years. It has a connection to the UsefulNotes/WashingtonMetro on the latter's Red Line, as well as commuter rail service into Maryland and Virginia by way of MARC and Virginia Railway Express, respectively.

* The ''Auto Train'' from Lorton, Virginia (just outside Washington, DC) to Sanford, Florida (outside Orlando). It is unique in North America in that the passengers' automobiles are loaded onto special freight cars and are unloaded at their destination. It's so incredibly popular among senior citizens living in Florida for the winter that the Amtrak senior discount, despite being honored even on the premium ''Acela Express'', is invalid on the ''Auto Train''.

So Congress passed a law ending this requirement and replacing it with a skeletal network that became Amtrak. It began service in May of 1971. Though ridership has rebounded enormously since then, the network is run on a [[NoBudget very small budget]], so certain priorities have to be set. It doesn't help that it is continually subject to ExecutiveMeddling from Congress, making silly mandates such as requiring Amtrak to carry guns in checked baggage (without providing any funds for lockable cabinets for said guns), as well as threats to [[WhatAnIdiot cut off funding for onboard food service]]. Then, of course, are the continual [[ArtisticLicenseEconomics demands that Amtrak pay for itself]], despite no other passenger rail system in the world making a profit, and despite [[{{Hypocrite}} massive federal funding for competing highways and airports]]. Things are getting a bit better, now that the [[JoeBiden Vice President]] is a RailEnthusiast, as well as the increasing costs and [[OverreactingAirportSecurity general unpleasantness]] of air travel resulting in Amtrak setting annual ridership records for almost every year of the past decade.

So Congress passed a law ending this requirement and replacing it with a skeletal network that became Amtrak. It began service in May of 1971. Though ridership has rebounded enormously since then, the network is run on a [[NoBudget very small budget]], so certain priorities have to be set. It doesn't help that it is continually subject to ExecutiveMeddling from Congress, making silly mandates such as requiring Amtrak to carry guns in checked baggage (without providing any funds for lockable cabinets for said guns), as well as threats to [[WhatAnIdiot cut off funding for onboard food service]]. Then, of course, are the continual [[ArtisticLicenseEconomics demands that Amtrak make a profit]], despite no other passenger rail system in the world making a profit, and despite [[{{Hypocrite}} massive federal funding for competing highways and airports]]. Things are getting a bit better, now that the [[JoeBiden Vice President]] is a RailEnthusiast, as well as the increasing costs and [[OverreactingAirportSecurity general unpleasantness]] of air travel resulting in Amtrak setting annual ridership records for almost every year of the past decade.

So Congress passed a law ending this requirement and replacing it with a skeletal network that became Amtrak. It began service in May of 1971. Though ridership has rebounded enormously since then, the network is run on a [[NoBudget very small budget]], so certain priorities have to be set. In the most heavily populated region, the Northeast, the rail system is extensive enough to rival those of Europe and includes a high-speed line. Everywhere else, it's famous for massive delays and unreliability, although high-speed rail is set to be extended to other regions in the next decade (the "[[UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}} Chicago Hub]]" region--which extends from Cleveland and Detroit to Kansas City east-west and Minneapolis to Louisville north-south--has seen particularly extensive improvements to Amtrak in preparation for it). But if media depict a passenger train in the contemporary US, it will most likely be an Amtrak train. In particular, it will likely be either a ''Pacific Surfliner'' or a ''Northeast Corridor'' train, even if the setting is [[JustTrainWrong somewhere completely different.]]

* The ''Acela Express'' is currently America's only high-speed line, running from UsefulNotes/{{Boston}} to UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC. It manages to run on normal tracks by tilting the cars with hydraulics. The ride itself is very smooth and eerily quiet, though a lot slower than comparable systems in other countries -- the average speed (including stops) is only 80 miles per hour (130 km/h), only reaching its top speed of 150 miles per hour on a few stretches (240 km/h). Expect to see members of Congress from the northeast riding it to/from DC at the beginning and end of each week, or people traveling between UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity and Boston (more than half of all train and air traffic between the two cities is on Acela). On that note, its success has essentially killed commuter air shuttles on the East Coast, thanks to its speed, convenience, and lack of OverreactingAirportSecurity.

* Union Station, UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC is Amtrak's headquarters, the second busiest station, and just a few blocks from the capitol building. Well known for being a tourists attraction in it's own right, with beautiful architecture and many shops, not unlike New York's Grand Central Terminal. It is not uncommon for VIP's to be seem riding the train from Washington, the most notable being Delaware Senator (and current [[UsefulNotes/AmericanPoliticalSystem Vice-President Joe Biden]], who ''never had a residence in Washington'', and commuted by Amtrak for 20+ years. It has a connection to the UsefulNotes/WashingtonMetro on the latter's Red Line, as well as commuter rail service into Maryland and Virginia by way of MARC and Virginia Railway Express, respectively.

* Union Station, UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC is Amtrak's headquarters, the second busiest station, and just a few blocks from the capitol building. Well known for being a tourists attraction in it's own right, with beautiful architecture and many shops, not unlike New York's Grand Central Terminal. It is not uncommon for VIP's to be seem riding the train from Washington, the most notable being Delaware Senator Joe Biden, who ''never had a residence in Washington''', and commuted by Amtrak for 20+ years.

* ''Northeast Corridor'' runs from either Boston, Springfield or New York to either Washington, DC, Richmond, Newport News or Lynchburg (with an extension to Bristol set to open in 2016) and stops in every major city along it's route. Due to the area's high population density, it is one of the few Amtrak lines that turns a profit; it and the Acela Express together generate more than half of the entire system's revenue. It is also the only electrified Amtrak route (except for the [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg Virginia section, plus the branch line from New Haven to Springfield]] from Washington DC to Newport News, which is diesel-powered), and thus one can instantly tell if a picture is from the Northeast Corridor by the presence of the overhead wires. Note that some trains that begin in Springfield require one to transfer to a train coming from Boston at New Haven to head towards points further south.

So Congress passed a law ending this requirement and replacing it with a skeletal network that became Amtrak. It began service in May of 1971. Though ridership has rebounded enormously since then, the network is run on a [[NoBudget very small budget]], so certain priorities have to be set. In the most heavily populated region, the Northeast, the rail system is extensive enough to rival those of Europe and includes a high-speed line. Everywhere else, it's famous for massive delays and unreliability, although high-speed rail is set to be extended to other regions in the next decade (the "[[UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}} Chicago Hub]]" region--which extends from Cleveland and Detroit to Kansas City east-west and Minneapolis to Louisville north-south--has seen particularly extensive improvements to Amtrak in preparation for it). But if media depict a passenger train in the contemporary US, it will most likely be an Amtrak train. In particular, it will likely be either a ''Pacific Surfliner'' or a ''Northeast Corridor'' train, even if the setting is somewhere completely different.

* Union Station, UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC is Amtrak's headquarters, the second busiest station, and just a few blocks from the capitol building. It is not uncommon for VIP's to be seem riding the train from Washington, the most notable being Delaware Senator Joe Biden, who ''never had a residence in Washington''', and commuted by Amtrak for 20+ years.

* 30th Street Station, UsefulNotes/{{Philadelphia}} is the third busiest station, as it is on the Northeast Corridor and the connection point for every train into the interior of Pennsylvania. Despite its importance, it is entirely a through station, and no trains terminate here.

* Union Station, UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}} is the fourth busiest station, hub of the entire Midwestern rail system and the starting point of all but one route (the Sunset Limited from New Orleans) to the west coast.

* ''Northeast Corridor'' runs from [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Boston to Newport News]] and stops in every major city in the northeast. Due to the area's high population density, it is one of the few Amtrak lines that turns a profit; it and the Acela Express together generate more than half of the entire system's revenue. It is also the only electrified Amtrak route (except for the [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg Virginia section]] from Washington DC to Newport News, which is diesel-powered), and thus one can instantly tell if a picture is from the Northeast Corridor by the presence of the overhead wires.

* The ''Pacific Surfliner'' is the busiest line in the West, from San Diego to [[{{Sideways}} San Luis Obispo]] by way of Los Angeles, and [[ShamelessSelfPromotion yes, tourists]], quite a lot of it runs right along the beach. Especially popular with military personnel, college students, and weekend vacationers.

* The ''Coast Starlight'' goes from Los Angeles to Seattle.

* The ''Keystone Service'' from New York to Harrisburg via Philadelphia. There's also one train per day that goes beyond Harrisburg to {{Pittsburgh}}

* Union Station, UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC is Amtrak's headquarters, the second busiest station, and just a few blocks from the capitol building. It is not uncommon for VIPs to be seem riding the train from Washington, the most notable being Delaware Senator Joe Biden, who ''never had a residence in Washington''', and commuted by Amtrak for 20+ years.

So Congress passed a law ending this requirement and replacing it with a skeletal network that became Amtrak. It began service in May of 1971. Though ridership has rebounded enormously since then, the network is run on a very small budget, so certain priorities have to be set. In the most heavily populated region, the Northeast, the rail system is extensive enough to rival those of Europe and includes a high-speed line. Everywhere else, it's famous for massive delays and unreliability, although high-speed rail is set to be extended to other regions in the next decade (the "[[UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}} Chicago Hub]]" region--which extends from Cleveland and Detroit to Kansas City east-west and Minneapolis to Louisville north-south--has seen particularly extensive improvements to Amtrak in preparation for it). But if media depict a passenger train in the contemporary US, it will most likely be an Amtrak train.

* Penn Station, UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity is the busiest station in the United States. The original station was a beaux-arts masterpiece that was controversially demolished in 1964 to build the new Madison Square Garden, and the entire station complex is now underground. Amtrak is currently planning to move the station to the James Farley Post Office and will rename it Moynihan Station in honor of the late U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who created the idea of rebuilding the historic Penn Station. However, due to lack of funds and various political infighting this plan is currently stuck in DevelopmentHell, meaning the current overcrowded Penn Station will likely remain in use for quite some time to come.

* Union Station, UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC is Amtrak's headquarters, the second busiest station, and just a few blocks from the capitol building.

* 30th Street Station, UsefulNotes/{{Philadelphia}} is the third busiest station, as it is on the Northeast Corridor and the terminus for every train into the interior of Pennsylvania.

* Union Station, UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}} is the fourth busiest station, hub of the entire Midwestern rail system and the starting point of all but one route to the west coast.

* The ''Coast Starlight'' goes from Los Angeles to Seattle

!!Examples:
* Film/{{Garfield}} has the climax take place at an Amtrak station that is heavily-implied but never stated to be LA Union Station. While the train names are all fake (the villain plans to board the "New Amsterdam Limited", a train that does not exist), the equipment shown is actual Amtrak equipment from the early 2000's (mostly the double-decker Superliner cars used west of the Mississippi River).

* Penn Station, UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity is the busiest station in the United States. The original station was a beaux-arts masterpiece that was controversially demolished in 1964 to build the new Madison Square Garden, and the entire station complex is now underground. Amtrak is currently planning to move the station to the James Farley Post Office and will rename it Moynihan Station in honor of the late U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who created the idea of rebuilding the historic Penn Station.

* ''Northeast Corridor'' runs from [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Boston to Newport News]] and stops in every major city in the northeast. Due to the area's high population density, it is one of the few Amtrak lines that turns a profit; it and the Acela Express together generate more than half of the entire system's revenue. It is also the only electrified Amtrak route (except for the [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg Virginia section]], which is diesel-powered), and thus one can instantly tell if a picture is from the Northeast Corridor by the presence of the overhead wires.

* ''Northeast Corridor'' runs from [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Boston to Newport News]] and stops in every major city in the northeast. Due to the area's high population density, it is one of the few Amtrak lines that turns a profit; it and the Acela Express together generate more than half of the entire system's revenue.

* The ''Keystone Service'' from New York to Harrisburg via Philadelphia.

Amtrak, the UsefulNotes/{{trademark}} name of The National Passenger Railway Corporation, is the national railway of the United States. Privately-owned passenger trains in the US had always operated at a loss. As car ownership and passenger flights exploded following WorldWarTwo, many railroad companies were going out of business, in part because the government required them to provide service.

* Union Station, UsefulNotes/LosAngeles is the fifth busiest station and something of an oddball. It's designed to look like a [[UsefulNotes/{{Spain}} giant mission-style church]] complete with gardens, the tracks and platforms are elevated, and it's been in a state of constant expansion since 1989. It was a major hub for [[GoldenAgeOfHollywood Golden Age movie stars]] and [[WorldWarTwo troops bound for the Pacific]], and you've seen it many times if you watched ''[[Series/TwentyFour 24]].''

* The ''Pacific Surfliner'' is the busiest line in the West, from San Diego to [[{{Sideways}} San Luis Obispo]] by way of Los Angeles, and yes, quite a lot of it runs right along the beach. Especially popular with military personnel, college students and weekend vacationers.

* Penn Station, NewYorkCity is the busiest station in the United States. The original station was a beaux-arts masterpiece that was controversially demolished in 1964 to build the new Madison Square Garden, and the entire station complex is now underground. Amtrak is currently planning to move the station to the James Farley Post Office and will rename it Moynihan Station in honor of the late U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who created the idea of rebuilding the historic Penn Station.

* The ''Acela Express'' is currently America's only high-speed line, running from UsefulNotes/{{Boston}} to UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC. It manages to run on normal tracks by tilting the cars with hydraulics. The ride itself is very smooth and eerily quiet, though a lot slower than comparable systems in other countries -- the average speed (including stops) is only 80 miles per hour (130 km/h), only reaching its top speed of 150 miles per hour on a few stretches (240 km/h). Expect to see members of Congress from the northeast riding it to/from DC at the beginning and end of each week, or people traveling between NewYorkCity and Boston (more than half of all train and air traffic between the two cities is on Acela). On that note, its success has essentially killed commuter air shuttles on the East Coast, thanks to its speed, convenience, and lack of OverreactingAirportSecurity.

So Congress passed a law ending this requirement and replacing it with a skeletal network that became Amtrak. It began service in May of 1971. Though ridership has rebounded enormously since then, the network is run on a very small budget, so certain priorities have to be set. In the most heavily populated region, the Northeast, the rail system is extensive enough to rival those of Europe and includes a high-speed line. Everywhere else, it's famous for massive delays and unreliability, although high-speed rail is set to be extended to other regions in the next decade (the "[[TheWindyCity Chicago Hub]]" region--which extends from Cleveland and Detroit to Kansas City east-west and Minneapolis to Louisville north-south--has seen particularly extensive improvements to Amtrak in preparation for it). But if media depict a passenger train in the contemporary US, it will most likely be an Amtrak train.

* Union Station, [[TheWindyCity Chicago]] is the fourth busiest station, hub of the entire Midwestern rail system and the starting point of all but one route to the west coast.

* Penn Station, NewYorkCity is the busiest station in the United States. The original station was a beaux-arts masterpiece that was controversially demolished in 1964 to build the new Madison Square Garden, and the entire station complex is now underground.

* The ''Coast Starlight'' goes from Los Angeles to Vancouver, BC

* The ''Capitol Corridor'' is Northern California's answer to the Pacific Surfliner, running from San Jose to Auburn (and soon Reno) by way of Oakland and Sacramento. Amtrak notably does not reach San Francisco. Popular with state officials.

Amtrak, the {{trademark}} name of The National Passenger Railway Corporation, is the national railway of the United States. Privately-owned passenger trains in the US had always operated at a loss. As car ownership and passenger flights exploded following WorldWarTwo, many railroad companies were going out of business, in part because the government required them to provide service.

* The ''Acela Express'' is currently America's only high-speed line, running from UsefulNotes/{{Boston}} to UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC. It manages to run on normal tracks by tilting the cars with hydraulics. The ride itself is very smooth and eerily quiet, though a lot slower than comparable systems in other countries -- the average speed (including stops) is only 80 miles per hour, only reaching its top speed of 150 miles per hour on a few stretches. Expect to see members of Congress from the northeast riding it to/from DC at the beginning and end of each week, or people traveling between NewYorkCity and Boston (more than half of all train and air traffic between the two cities is on Acela). On that note, its success has essentially killed commuter air shuttles on the East Coast, thanks to its speed, convenience, and lack of OverreactingAirportSecurity.

* The ''Acela Express'' is currently America's only high-speed line, from UsefulNotes/{{Boston}} to UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC. It manages to run on normal tracks by tilting the cars with hydraulics. The ride itself is very smooth and eerily quiet, though a lot slower than comparable systems in other countries -- the average speed (including stops) is only 80 miles per hour, only reaching its top speed of 150 miles per hour on a few stretches. Expect to see members of Congress from the northeast riding it to/from DC at the beginning and end of each week, or people traveling between NewYorkCity and Boston (two-fifths of all train and air traffic between the two cities is on Acela).

* Union Station, WashingtonDC is Amtrak's headquarters, the second busiest station, and just a few blocks from the capitol building.

* The ''Acela Express'' is currently America's only high-speed line, from UsefulNotes/{{Boston}} to WashingtonDC. It manages to run on normal tracks by tilting the cars with hydraulics. The ride itself is very smooth and eerily quiet, though a lot slower than comparable systems in other countries -- the average speed (including stops) is only 80 miles per hour, only reaching its top speed of 150 miles per hour on a few stretches. Expect to see members of Congress from the northeast riding it to/from DC at the beginning and end of each week, or people traveling between NewYorkCity and Boston (two-fifths of all train and air traffic between the two cities is on Acela).

* Union Station, LosAngeles is the fifth busiest station and something of an oddball. It's designed to look like a [[UsefulNotes/{{Spain}} giant mission-style church]] complete with gardens, the tracks and platforms are elevated, and it's been in a state of constant expansion since 1989. It was a major hub for [[GoldenAgeOfHollywood Golden Age movie stars]] and [[WorldWarTwo troops bound for the Pacific]], and you've seen it many times if you watched ''[[Series/TwentyFour 24]].''

* Union Station, LosAngeles is the fifth busiest station and something of an oddball. It's designed to look like a [[{{UsefulNotes/Spain}} giant mission-style church]] complete with gardens, the tracks and platforms are elevated, and it's been in a state of constant expansion since 1989. It was a major hub for [[GoldenAgeOfHollywood Golden Age movie stars]] and [[WorldWarTwo troops bound for the Pacific]], and you've seen it many times if you watched ''[[TwentyFour 24]].''

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