Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought the 50's and 60's were already hitting the heavily destructive years for passenger rail travel in the US?
Well, it was a process, not all happening at the same time. Some lines gave up much earlier than others. Company attitudes were hard to guage sometimes but what I go by is how fat the timetables were. They continued to be "fat" into the late 50's in most cases. Some lines were still trying. For example, slumbercoaches were not invented until then. A brand new Denver Zephyr was put into service about 1956. But other lines, like Southern Pacific, gave up much earlier.
By the 60's it was getting bad. The loss of the the mail contract happened during that era.
In response to the question I had it mind when some service of some sort was still available, even if of declining quality.
Keep in mind that passenger train modernization was delayed during WW 2. So the late 40's and early 50's were largely positive.
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