Join Danny Harmon as he rides the Amtrak Sunset Limited from Pensacola to Jacksonville in this YouTube video. This was before Hurricane Katrina was used as an excuse for shutting down this section of the route. With the rising cost of energy, the passenger railroad is going to come back We need an efficient, economic and on-time passenger railroad.

I know that this is going to require a huge infrastructure investment. We need to install separate tracks for passenger trains. We need to update the rolling stock. All of that is going to be expensive but necessary. It’s going to cost us, but the investment is worth it. A lot of folks say that government should be run like a business. I disagree. The purpose of government is to provide for the common good. not to make a profit for shareholders. Don’t get me started on that soapbox.

Anyhow, watch Danny’s video, and if you think, like I do, that Amtrak ought to be one of our transportation options, call our elected and appointed officials and tell them what you think.

For more information on the American passenger railway system, visit http://www.narprail.org/cms/index.php. It’s the web site of the National Association of Railroad Passengers.