The United States may have not invented the train, but we sure did perfect it. Cornelius Vanderbilt created the largest railway system in the world. The United States paved the way for the rest of the world to build mass transit. The United States also created the largest underground train systems. But those days have passed. Our people now rely on driving through vigorous highways and mountainous roads. Car culture is a large factor in the United States moving away from trains. Oil companies also gain more profits from cars than they do from public transit. Nonetheless, that does not change the fact that the United States lagging behind other developed countries’ train systems creates a bad image.
Europe and Asia are considered the standard for commuter rail. Europe spends a staggering $950b on commuter rail per year. The United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and many more countries on the continent have incredible systems. In Paris, the average wait time for the metro is 6 minutes. Compare that to Washington D.C., widely considered to have the best system within the United States, which has an average wait time of 17 minutes. Japan is considered the world standard. The metro is always on time. It is so efficient that the train you are taking will give you a slip so that you can hand it to your boss when you arrive late to work.
There are many factors that go into creating a mass transit system. One of the reasons the United States does not build the transit system is cost. Policymakers estimate that a fully updated high-speed rail system will cost upwards of $3 trillion. The other issue is demand. The United States is a car-centric country. American materialization and both parents working forces Americans to get cars. The United States is also vast, with large rural areas that trains do not reach. The largest American train system, Amtrak, is a publicly owned company that oversees over 21,000 miles of rail. Other regional companies are not as large, boasting fewer available trains and having more delays.
So how do policymakers combat this issue? Can we truly get Americans to use trains? I believe we can. If Congress approves funds to upgrade trains, they need to focus on modernization and speed. Luxury is important when grabbing the attention of commuters. Airlines usually steal the show with luxury business and first-class appeal. Private train companies can create a luxury appeal to consumers. Comfort for the “economy” class will be important along with amenities like small TVs and cafes onboard. The private sector will be an important part of entering this sector because they have the capital and the will. Companies will create competition with the government and can work to build an extensive network.
The next is speed. The fastest train in the world is in Shanghai, boasting a 285 mph speed. Japan built the first high-speed train called the Bullet Train, which then sprawled around Europe. Amtrak’s fastest trains can hit 160, but that is 26 mph slower than the 10th fastest train in the world. Amtrak also has a lot of slow zones because of how old the tracks are. If the United States can combine luxury and speed, with a train that can go over 300 mph, no doubt consumers will seek out this train. Politicians also need to exemplify the fact that trains are environmentally friendly, and save energy.
Bullet train in Japan.
The United States also needs to improve underground transit within cities. The New York City subway is amongst the oldest in the country and is slow and has constant delays. Updating city transportation to make them faster, and safer and adding more trains, will take people off the roads and cause less traffic. Japan does this well by creating automated trains, taking away the need to find drivers which are in such short supply.
Can the United States achieve this goal? It will be difficult. There has to be a large policy switch in the government and a higher demand for public transportation. Until then, the United States will not see a modernized train system.
Author: Joshua Cheatha