Factoids
While the Texas Department of Transportation has a yearly budget of more than $26 billion less than 1 percent of that is earmarked for public transit
A single freight train can take the load of 280 or more trucks — equivalent to 1,100 cars off our overcrowded highways
Nearly Two-Thirds of U.S. Travelers said they would use High-Speed Rail
As of September 2021, the Federal Railroad Administration showed that there were 129 listed railroad crossing “quiet zones” in Texas where trains do not need to sound their horn on approach. Sleep peacefully, Texas.
Passenger rail is an essential element of America’s surface transportation system. The main provider of intercity passenger rail service is the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, also known as Amtrak. Amtrak serves more than 500 destinations in 46 states. National, regional and urban passenger rail service supports economic development, connects rural communities to the nation, and helps reduce roadway congestion in major metropolitan regions.
A freight train moves a ton of freight an average of 484 miles on a single gallon of fuel
Between 1956-2006 for every $16 that the federal government spent on highway projects with our general tax dollars, $6 was spent on aviation and only $1 was spent on rail
While trucks carry most goods shipped less than 750 miles, rail is the leading form of transportation for shipments traveling 750 to 2,000 miles
Texas ranks highest for the number of train collisions in the country, according to the latest full-year statistics from the Federal Railroad Administration. Harris County had the greatest number of highway-rail incidents totaling 28 in 2020, followed by Tarrant with 16, Bexar with eight and Dallas with seven.
According to figures released by the Association of American Railroads, Texas received 208.1 million tons of rail freight in 2019, the most of any state
Texas leads all other states in total rail miles, with 10,460
The Supreme Court says Amtrak is more like a public entity than a private firm. The Supreme Court ruled that Amtrak is more like a government entity than a private business, but several justices said there might be serious constitutional issues with the powers that Congress has entrusted to it.
A single rail car can carry enough grain to make 258,000 loaves of bread
Traffic congestion costs the U.S. $87.2 billion a year. The amount of time wasted in traffic annually nearly equals one full week per traveler
