EPISODE · May 10, 2026 · 32 MIN
The Day America Almost Lost Passenger Trains
from History For Busy People · host John Higginbotham
“By the late 1960s, America’s railroads were collapsing. Passenger trains were bleeding money, airlines were booming, and the interstate highway system was rewriting the country. Then came Amtrak.” We discuss:Decline of private railroadsCars + interstate highwaysJet age competitionWhy railroads wanted outCreation of Amtrak in 1971Modern angle:Why passenger rail still struggles todayComparison to Europe and Japan
What this episode covers
“By the late 1960s, America’s railroads were collapsing. Passenger trains were bleeding money, airlines were booming, and the interstate highway system was rewriting the country. Then came Amtrak.” We discuss:Decline of private railroadsCars + interstate highwaysJet age competitionWhy railroads wanted outCreation of Amtrak in 1971Modern angle:Why passenger rail still struggles todayComparison to Europe and Japan
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The Day America Almost Lost Passenger Trains
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