. . . On May 26, 1934, a U.S. diesel-powered train christened the Zephyr broke the world speed record previously held by Germany, traveling from Denver to Chicago at an average speed of 77 miles per hour.
In the 1930s and 40s, U.S. intercity passenger trains were the envy of much of the world. . .
. . . The United States once had a thriving intercity rail and urban transit network. By the 1950s, however, the federal government shifted its infrastructure spending decisively to highways and airports. Public transportation systems atrophied, and America’s technological leadership in the manufacture of everything from subway cars to trams to high-speed trains passed to companies in Japan, France, Germany, and a few other European countries.
By the 1970s and 1980s, the domestically owned passenger rail manufacturing industry had vanished. Today, the U.S. passenger rail industry remains underdeveloped, with significant gaps in the supply chain for passenger rail equipment. . .
. . . About 16 percent of all European passenger travel is undertaken by bus and rail, compared with a mere 4 percent in the United States. . .