The Three Things Stopping Amtrak from Expanding

Amtrak has broken all-time annual ridership records for two years in a row and support for passenger rail expansion hovers near 80% nationally. So why isn’t Amtrak expanding faster? FIND THE RIGHT BIKE: https://findtheright.bike/ If you're in the market for a new bike this summer, Find the Right Bike should be your first stop. Through a super short four-question quiz, Find the Right Bike recommends the perfect type of bike to fit your needs. Big thanks to them for sponsoring this month's video! Right now, the fragility of the United States transportation system is on full display. Spirit Airlines has ceased operations, raising the cost floor for domestic air travel. Brightline faces major financial challenges. The Heartland Flyer connecting Dallas-Fort Worth to Oklahoma City may cease operations after Texas declined continued funding, even as the state spends tens of billions expanding highways. If you ask me, it’s kind of insane that we effectively have just two realistic options for long-distance travel in the US: expensive flights or hours in the car. With Amtrak posting record ridership and new routes like the Borealis that quickly exceed expectations, why does passenger rail expansion still move so slowly? Why are projects taking 10-15 years when the tracks already exist? That’s what this video is about. In this first installment of my new “Let’s Actually Get it Done” series, I look at what I believe are the three biggest reasons why Amtrak and passenger rail expansion in North America struggle to move forward: Freight Rail Interference: In the United States, intercity passenger trains usually run on tracks owned by freight railroads. Since the 1990s, freight companies have increasingly adopted the Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR) model: longer trains, smaller crews, tighter schedules, and maximum profitability. That model puts Amtrak in an almost impossible situation. To illustrate the issue, I examine the long-delayed Chicago to Quad Cities passenger rail project in Illinois. The route would add just 55 new miles to Amtrak’s network, yet after 18 years of planning and negotiations, trains still have not begun service. Because freight railroads own the infrastructure and passenger rail priority laws are rarely enforced, even modest Amtrak expansions become extremely difficult. Lack of Political Will: Passenger rail in the United States receives only a fraction of the funding dedicated to highways and aviation. The Heartland Flyer is one of the clearest examples. Texas contributes about $3.5 million annually to keep the route operating, yet the state is simultaneously spending more than $85 billion on highway projects over the next decade. Texas could fund the Heartland Flyer for more than 1,600 years for the cost of just one highway widening project in Austin. And despite common assumptions, public support for passenger rail is actually very high. Surveys consistently show strong bipartisan support for rail expansion when people are given practical transportation alternatives. Lack of Institutional Capacity: When states attempt to expand passenger rail, they often have to coordinate planning, engineering, negotiations, and design largely on their own. Projects become fragmented across private consultants and regional agencies, creating enormous duplication of effort. To illustrate this, I compare the Chicago-Quad Cities route to the proposed Chicago-Peoria passenger rail project. Both involve similar distances, freight rail constraints, and planning challenges, yet each project must largely reinvent the wheel independently. Countries like Spain approach rail infrastructure very differently. Their government-owned rail infrastructure manager, ADIF, maintains in-house planning and engineering expertise that carries from project to project, lowering costs and reducing delays. This video also explores potential solutions: Guaranteed long-term Amtrak funding Stronger enforcement of passenger rail priority laws Strategic public ownership of rail infrastructure Expanded in-house planning and engineering capacity Better coordination between states and federal agencies Using the Corridor ID Program as a foundation for future rail expansion The success of routes like the Borealis shows there is enormous demand for more transportation options beyond driving and flying. Topics covered in this video: Amtrak Borealis Brightline Heartland Flyer Chicago to Quad Cities rail project Passenger rail expansion Freight rail interference Precision Scheduled Railroading Transportation policy Highway expansion Public transit funding Intercity rail High-speed rail Transit costs Corridor ID Program Timestamps: Intro 00:00 The First Thing 02:11 Find the Right Bike Promo 09:16 The Second Thing 10:20 The Third Thing 17:12 Closing Thoughts 24:04 End Credits 25:16 #Amtrak #PassengerRail #Infrastructure #UrbanPlanning #TrainTravel