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 Commuter Trains and Light Rail TransitCommuter trains have always been an important means of travel for folks heading to and from the workplace. However, only since the 1970s have most commuter rail operations been handled by city, state, or federal agencies as prior to that time it was the private freight railroads' responsibility. This soon changed following the collapse of the intercity passenger rail business in the 1960s and early 1970s, which prompted the creation of Amtrak in the spring of 1971.
Another service that is making a big comeback is the old interurban lines (trolleys), today also known as light rail transit or LRT for short. Essentially the same thing as the venerable trolley, which during the first half of the 20th century could be found in virtually every medium-sized town throughout the country, these single car or small trainset operations use much lighter rails (hence their name) to serve a local city or region. LRT services have become increasingly popular, just within the last 10 years and have begun popping up all over the country in cities like Charlotte, Austin, Norfolk, Minneapolis, and Portland among others. You can also still find traditional trolley cars operated in New Orleans, San Francisco, and even on SEPTA in Philadelphia. One of the biggest benefits to LRT operations, particularly compared to “heavy rail” services, is the lower cost of building and operating/maintaining such systems. Still, even though heavy rail services are more expensive (such as what is offered by NJ Transit and Sound Tranist) to operate many of these trains continue to be full, or nearly full, and are becoming increasingly popular for commuters heading too and from work as gas prices rise. And, likewise, over and over it is proven that if the service is offered, the passengers will come. For instance, ridership projections for new trains, whether they be LRT, commuter rail, or long-distance operations continually prove to be too low.
For instance, the two graphs you see here (information courtesy of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics), illustrate that commuter rail and LRT are increasingly being used by the public (the numbers reflect the total usage of commuter rail and light rail transit in millions, dating as far back as 1960). Interestingly, if you notice some of the largest gains in both types of rail service has been just since the start of the 2000s, part of which is due to the fact that since that time more monies have been spent at the state and federal levels to expand commuter rail and LRT.   For an idea of just how many new commuter rail and LRT projects are either in the works or under way please visit this page at Light Rail Now!, the premier resource on the web covering commuter trains and light rail transit. In any event, below you can find more information about many of the current commuter and light rail operations around the country: Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Sound Transit's Sounder Commuter Rail System Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) Virginia Railway Express (VRE) Also, for more information regarding passenger train history and services available around the country please click here. Finally, for a state guide to available Amtrak passenger trains please click here.
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