United States and Canadian Rail Travel: A Primer

While travelers in the early to middle part of the last century were familiar with rail travel and considered it the only way to travel, the ascendancy of the automobile and the airplanes eclipsed rail travel. It was left to a self-selected cadre of travelers to keep rail travel alive. And this they did. While Amtrak and, to a lesser extent, Canada's VIA Rail, constricted their service and lines, they also improved and expanded certain services. For example, while Amtrak was canceling or cutting back on certain routes, they improved and expanded service on routes such as the Northeast Corridor, between Boston and Washington D.C. Likewise, in partnership with states, routes such as the San Joaquin and the Surfliner, thrived in California, and the jewel of the Amtrak crown, the Downeaster, was initiated between Boston and Maine.
The current dissatisfaction with air travel, including the TSA activities, as well as the cost of gasoline, has now brought rail travel into the ascendancy. In addition to luxury rail travel, which is highly popular, both Amtrak and VIA Rail have focused on the travel experience. Both lines have greatly improved on board dining, creating advisory groups of chefs to inform menu development, as well as developing relationships with farms and providers in the states within which they travel, so that local food, wine, beer, soda, and other provisions are now common.
The lines have also created opportunities for passengers to join the life of the train, with wine and cheese tastings, trivia contests, on board live music and the like.
The U.S. and Canada are on the verge of a revival of rail travel. This guide provides a road map for those who are new to rail travel, but intrigued by the idea of a different way of travel - a focus on the journey as well as the destination.