Biden Budgets Billions to Get Trains Back on Track as Cars Derailed Passenger Rail's Past Prominence
• The US once had a thriving passenger rail system, but over the past century has shifted focus to cars and planes over trains
• Efforts to revive rails are picking up - Biden recently announced $16B to improve Amtrak's Northeast Corridor
• The rise of cars was a key factor in trains' declining popularity, as government began encouraging highway systems
• Amtrak serves over 20 million yearly but has little control over tracks, which are owned by freight companies
• While unlikely trains will recover their former dominance, routes linking major metro areas could see new growth