Amtrak Amtrak is the quasi-public passenger railroad company of the United States, serving more than 35,000 km (22,000 miles) of track and serving over 500 communities in 46 American states and three major Canadian cities. Trains carry one or more classes of accommodation: bus, business, and sleeping car. A seat in the bus class is usually competitive with the price of a Greyhound bus ticket, and sleeping-car accommodations can be competitive with airfare; however, it depends on the route, and in some cases a bus ticket is more comparable to a plane ticket, and a sleeping-car ticket is even more expensive. Most of the information in this article applies to Amtrak.
The Alaska Railroad is a long-distance railroad owned and operated by the state of Alaska to carry passengers and freight throughout Alaska. The railroad is known for its summer passenger service, but also plays a vital role in transporting Alaska’s natural resources to the ports at Anchorage, Whittier, and Seward, as well as transporting fuel and gravel for use in Anchorage. Some of their freight trains are also connected to the lower 48 states via rail barges between Whittier and Seattle. Passenger trains run from Seward through Anchorage, Talkeetna and Denali to Fairbanks with a branch to Whittier. The post-hurricane turnaround route between Talkeetna and Denali represents the last remaining “under the flag” train stops in North America: a stretch of track along a section of inaccessible road, where residents wait by the tracks and
Across the U.S., many historic routes have been maintained or rebuilt as private tourist routes that sometimes connect to Amtrak or regional systems. Most of these lines use old railroad equipment (such as steam locomotives) that has been refurbished.
Many major American cities have short- and medium-distance commuter train systems that connect downtown with nearby suburbs or smaller towns. According to their name, commuter lines usually focus on serving passengers during weekday peak hours and thus offer their most frequent service during those times. But some also offer service in the evenings or on weekends, which can make them a great way to get out of a big city for a day or a weekend.
In particular, Boston, Los Angeles, New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Chicago and San Francisco/San Jose have well-developed commuter train systems that are extensive, run very frequently, have high ridership and are well connected to local transportation systems and Amtrak.