| With interest growing in rail travel, let's take a brief | | | | major nationwide passenger rail carrier in the United |
| journey through the history of passenger rail travel and | | | | States. In Europe, there are many high speed |
| see how far we've come. | | | | passenger rail lines including the TGV and Eurostar |
| Wagonways | | | | trains. |
| The earliest evidence of rail travel can be found in its | | | | Pullman Car |
| predecessor, the wagonway. In ancient times, as far | | | | The Pullman car, also called the sleeping car, is just |
| back as 500 BC, horses or men were used to pull | | | | that. A railcar that is made for passengers to be able |
| wagons that were loaded with cargo and then | | | | to sleep in. The main purpose of a pullman car is to |
| wedged between two grooves which kept the wagon | | | | make overnight or lengthy rail travel much easier for |
| in alignment and going the desired direction. These | | | | passengers, allowing them more comfort, rest and |
| horse drawn and man drawn wagons were prevalent | | | | privacy. The first pullman car operating in the US, was |
| in ancient Greek and Roman times. Later on, in the 16th | | | | in 1839, called the Chambersburg. |
| century, wagonways were used in Germany to | | | | Passenger Rail Travel |
| transport ore from mines. This was done on wooden | | | | Today, passenger trains are more common than ever, |
| rails. Later, the wood was replaced with iron. | | | | especially outside of the United States. In China and |
| Steam Engine | | | | Japan, in particular, bullet trains and other high speed |
| In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the steam | | | | trains get millions of people to their destinations each |
| engine was invented and improved, with the first full | | | | day. In Japan, the Shinkansen, runs almost the entire |
| scale working model being built by Richard Trevithick in | | | | length of the country, connecting most major |
| 1804. Trevithick was born in Cornwall, England and his | | | | Japanese cities with more lines being planned. The |
| locomotive was first used in an area of Wales on the | | | | Shinkansen technology has been a model for other |
| Merthyr Tydfil Tramroad. | | | | Asian countries to follow for their own high speed |
| Evolution of Passenger Rail | | | | passenger rail lines. Taiwan, China and Vietnam now |
| By the 19th and 20th century, different types of rail | | | | have their own Shinkansen based rail lines with Brazil |
| cars were common, these include cars for baggage, | | | | also recently getting into the act. |
| coach cars, dining cars, dome cars, lounges, | | | | With the invention of high speed trains, trains have |
| observation cars, private cars, Pullman cars and | | | | been used more for commuting and travel that for |
| sleepers. These cars are still the standard for | | | | cargo transportation in many areas of the world. |
| passenger travel by rail today. Amtrak is the only | | | | |