There are currently 22,000 route miles of rail lines (one land mile = one route mile, regardless of how many tracks are on that mile of land)
NARP’s proposal will bring the number of route miles to 45,000 – roughly the same size as the current interstate highway system.
The interstate highway system has grown from its initial 41,000 miles to 47,000 miles in 2004.
An increase in communities served
Today, many big metro areas have little or no Amtrak service.
NARP’s proposal would have meaningful service in all major metropolitan areas and a majority of the smaller ones.
Providing a transportation choice people demand
In 2006, a Harris poll indicated that 79% of adults would like to see an increasing proportion of traffic going by intercity or commuter rail.
According to a 2005 study by the Surface Transportation Policy Project, people living in communities with few transportation options devote the greatest share of their family budget to transportation costs.
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