What is train travel like in the United States?
Lesson summary
Hi there everyone, it’s Jeff and this is Plain English, where we use stories to help you expand your vocabulary and start thinking in English.
In each episode, we tell a story, and I show you how to use an English expression. The story today is about train travel in the United States. If you’ve been to Europe—or if you live in Europe—you might have taken the trains all around. But if you go to the U.S….well, it’s not that way. We do have some long-distance trains, and today you’ll learn about them.
In the second half of today’s episode, you’ll learn the expression “up and running.”
This is lesson number 701 of Plain English, so that means JR, the producer, has uploaded the full lesson resources to PlainEnglish.com/701.
Train travel in the U.S.
Trains are a great way to get around Europe. The high-speed trains whisk you from city center to city center, within countries and across borders. The slower trains take you to small towns and villages. You can visit a vineyard, go for a hike, hit the beach, and ski a mountain, all by taking Europe’s vast network of passenger trains.
It’s not like that in the United States. The U.S. does have a national train network called Amtrak. Amtrak is a strange hybrid between a government agency and a private company. In theory, it’s a private, for-profit corporation. However, it receives a subsidy from the federal government and the Board of Directors is appointed by the president.
In practice, it’s more public than private. Amtrak trains run from coast to coast ; there are over 500 stations in 46 states. Almost all of its routes lose money. About half of Amtrak’s ticket revenue comes on just one route: the Northeast Corridor that runs from Washington, D.C. to Boston.
Outside that one corridor, Amtrak is, at best, a niche way of getting around. The trains are old. Most of the stations are eerily empty. Many cities get just one train per day in each direction. And train travel from city to city is not competitive with flying. The distances are too great, the trains don’t go fast enough, and wherever you go, you probably need a car when you arrive anyway.
Amtrak trains are not very reliable. It’s common for trains to be delayed for one, two, even three hours or more. For short distances, car travel is more competitive; for long distances, plane travel is best. Unless you’re going between the big cities of the northeast , trains just can’t compete with car or plane travel.
Amtrak, though, can be a good way to see the country…if you have time to spare. The west-coast route that connects Los Angeles to Seattle is considered one of the best train routes in the country. The 30-hour route passes through snow covered mountains, forests, and desert. And for long stretches, you can see the Pacific Ocean. Observation cars have large windows and seats arranged for you to enjoy the scenery.
You can cross the country in a train, if you’re brave. The trip from New York to Los Angeles is scheduled for 66 hours. That’s almost three entire days on the train. You can reserve a seat, which partially reclines. You can also reserve a small room, which includes a pull-out bed and a shower. If that’s what you want, be prepared to pay up . A small room on the New York to LA route can cost $1,500 or more.
For a long time, advocates for train travel encouraged the government to put its money into the nationwide network. But realistically, passengers aren’t going to take long-distance trains that take 12, 24, or 66 hours to reach their destinations.
Much of Amtrak’s investment recently has gone into the northeast corridor and into pairs of cities that are somewhat close to each other. This is also the strategy that America’s only private train company uses.
The last time a private company provided train travel between two cities was many, many decades ago. But now, a private company called Brightline is trying its hand at running high-speed intercity trains. Brightline is focusing its efforts on pairs of cities where train travel can be faster than driving and cheaper than flying. So far, it’s working on two routes.
The first is already up and running : it connects Orlando, in the middle of Florida, with Miami and Ft. Lauderdale in the south. These are the state’s two biggest tourist hubs. Orlando is a popular tourist destination, with Disney, Universal Studios, and other parks. It’s also one of the biggest markets for meetings and conventions. Miami has beaches, restaurants, clubs, and entertainment.
People who visit one destination may also want to add a few days in the other. The train saves about 30 minutes over the equivalent drive. There are first-class tickets, too, so riders can go in style (or stay productive and work).
Brightline’s other route is Las Vegas to Los Angeles. This one is under construction and trains are expected to be up and running in 2028. Las Vegas, as you know, is a major tourist destination. It’s also a common weekend escape for people who live in Los Angeles. In a car, without traffic, it’s about a four-hour drive from LA to Vegas.
Brightline is betting that passengers will want to take a train for their Vegas weekend escapes. This makes sense because most visitors to Las Vegas don’t need a car. Once you’re on the Las Vegas Strip, everything is accessible on foot or with a short cab ride.
Jeff’s take
Apart from the intercity trains, several cities have subway or light rail trains. And a number of regions have at least one commuter train that connects the downtown area to the more residential suburbs.
But if you want to visit the U.S. and tour the country, your train travel options are limited, I’m afraid .
I found a good video of a journalist who did the coast-to-coast trip on Amtrak. He documented the whole trip, including the little room. 72 hours, it took him. To see that video, go to PlainEnglish.com/701. Click on today’s story about train travel. And then find the tab called “Dig Deeper .”
Great stories make learning English fun
