If you’ve taken the Amtrak recently, you might have no idea that the United States used to have the largest and wealthiest rail system in the world. How did the US go from having luxurious, widely used passenger trains to the Amtrak system we have today?
What I learned from taking a train across the US
Here’s how US train travel went from excellent to mediocre.
Video producer Dean Peterson makes a 72-hour journey on Amtrak from LA to NYC to show its current state of operation. From getting kicked in the head by his sleeping seatmate to taking in sweeping views of the desert at sunset, Dean shows the highs and lows of being stuck on Amtrak for days on end.
Along the way, he explains the history of passenger rail in the US — starting in the problematic robber baron era to the US government’s takeover of passenger rail. Will the United States ever catch up to the rest of the world when it comes to train travel, or are Americans stuck with an underfunded, inefficient rail network forever? Join Dean on his journey as he sets out to find the answers to these questions and more.
This is our second video in a series of five all about hidden design details, growing trends, and overarching systems in travel. We’ve got three more for you, so tune in with us next Tuesday!
Check out the first video on the swishes and swoops that define the RV aesthetic.
You can find this video and the entire library of Vox’s videos on YouTube.
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