It is not rocket science. To increase passengers, Amtrak has done some nice advertising to show advantages over air travel, namely roomier seats, power outlets by seats, less hassles. And the payoff has been increased travel. But future survival likely depends on faster trains. According to this New York Times article,

For the Northeast corridor alone, Amtrak estimates that it will need almost $700 million annually for the next 15 years to maintain the system and to tackle a backlog of maintenance projects and upgrades. Reducing travel times between New York and Washington to two-and-a-half hours and times between New York and Boston to three hours — goals that were established in the 1970s — will require straighter track, improvements to bridges and tunnels, increased capacity through Manhattan and newer trains, among other investments.

Funding has improved with the Obama administration, but how long will that funding last, and that funding still does not provide the ability to get where Amtrak wants (and the US needs it) to go. We need more commitment from local, state and of course federal government to fund train travel or we risk our own economic success. The time to succeed is dwindling.

Amtrak wishes for faster trains

As the article points out, however, building passenger levels will build overall support for trains, so every little bit helps. Amtrak will be establishing free wi-fi service on many of their routes, again this is a step in the right direction. If Amtrak was visionary, they would have had free wi-fi on all trains 3 years ago (if not earlier). Better late than never? We’ll see.