House bill cuts Amtrak funding 40 percent

[BlueEye]

53. No doubt.

A transcontinental high-speed passenger railroad is pretty absurd. But on regional routes, the airlines are frequently not competitive. I frequently drive from Ohio to Chicago. It takes me six hours and is a boring drive that takes a tank of gas and lots of tolls. I could fly, but the fares are rarely lower than $200 round trip. If there was a train that could get me there in 4 hours for maybe $60 each way, I would routinely use it. The airports on both ends are a good distance from the city center, plus airports are a pain in the ass for a flight that's only 55 minutes.

So that's where America lacks trains. 200 to 500 mile sectors between large cites. Other than the northeast corridor, Amtrak does a pretty shitty job serving those markets, due mostly to funding problems (thanks GOP).