Passenger trains in the US are frequently late because freight trains have priority. Yep, that's right. Passenger trains wait on a rail siding while another load of consumer goods from China goes by. So, the answer is simple: Congress passes a law that says people are more important than freight and that passenger trains have priority over freight trains. Too simple? Well, consider that building more roads and highways for single-occupant automobiles is not the answer.
-- Editor, PassengerNews.com
WASHINGTON -- The Capitol Limited, an Amtrak train from Chicago, is scheduled to arrive in Washington every day at 1:30 p.m. But, the 764-mile route is among Amtrak's most dismal performers, with just 11 percent of trains arriving within 30 minutes of their scheduled time last year. But the problem exists to one degree or another on the majority of Amtrak routes.
The main reason: In most of the country, the national passenger railroad operates on tracks owned by freight railroads, and the tracks are badly congested.
