11 Fast Facts About Amtrak

(via Mental Floss)  It’s been 50 years since Congress established the National Railroad Passenger Corporation to salvage the nation’s struggling passenger rail system. The new company, which became known as Amtrak—a blend of American and track—was a public-private partnership designed to ensure the U.S. had multiple public transit options. It gradually consolidated the country’s 20 private passenger railroads into one and began with 21 routes serving 43 states. And in 50 years, Amtrak has had a storied history.