Amtrak

Amtrak is the trademark name of the intercity passenger train system created on May 1, 1971 in the United States. Formally known as the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, the trademark name Amtrak is a portmanteau of the words America, travel and track.

National impact

Amtrak employs over 19,000 people. The nationwide network of 22,000 miles of routes serves 500 communities in 46 of the United States, with some of the routes serving communities in Canadian provinces along the United States border. In fiscal year 2004, Amtrak routes served over 25 million passengers, a company record.

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Gaps in service

The only states which are not served by Amtrak trains are Alaska (served by the Alaska Railroad), Hawaii, South Dakota, and Wyoming (lost service in the 1997 cuts; served by Amtrak's Thruway Motorcoaches).

Related Topics:
Alaska - Alaska Railroad - Hawaii - South Dakota - Wyoming

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In addition, many large cities are not served by Amtrak such as

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• Las Vegas, Nevada (lost service in the 1997 cuts),
• Boise, Idaho (same),
• Nashville, Tennessee,
• Louisville, Kentucky and
• Columbus, Ohio.

Other cities are not served directly due to inconvenient water barriers including Norfolk and Virginia Beach in the Hampton Roads area, and San Francisco, where trains stop across the bay in Oakland and Emeryville. Others have only indirect service for other reasons, such as Phoenix, Arizona, which is served via a Thruway coach from nearby Maricopa, Arizona.

Related Topics:
Norfolk - Virginia Beach - Hampton Roads - San Francisco - Oakland - Emeryville - Phoenix, Arizona - Maricopa, Arizona

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