Why We Need Trains 3-Amtrak and Commuter Railroads-Truly a Transportation Asset

We look up, and a train races by.  Its passengers catching up on the morning news.  They sip a cup of coffee on their way to work, watching us stuck in traffic.  Their destination, Union Station, in the heart of the city.
Our long distance passenger and commuter train systems are perhaps one of our biggest urban assets.  This infrastructure that we take for granted, in places over 100 years old, was skillfully designed, allowing us to live and work day in and day out in the heart of our cities.
Trains allow us to practically commute to work.  Trains allow us to practically visit large cities from the suburbs.  To take in a football game, to go to a museum, or to visit our family and friends.
I often enjoy taking trains across America.  From Amtrak, we see America's many communities, each with its own great personality, its own story.  From the window of the train, we see main street cafes, book stores, and people of the town waving as we pass.
We see America's beauty. In snow covered mountains, and crystal blue lakes.  In the red-orange of fall and the bright green of spring.  We watch the seasons change as we roll down the track.
From town to town, city to city.  Trains truly are a part of America.  This is why we need trains.