Good News for Amtrak!
If you want some good (rail) news, look here.
Amtrak launched a second round trip from Chicago to Minneapolis/St. Paul called the Borealis today. First trip is on 5/21.
Editor's update, August 01, 2026: The Borealis has been shattering ridership projections since it launched just over two years ago.
Also, Virginia passenger rail ridership is up 21% from last year.
And the Cascades corridor in Oregon and Seattle broke its ridership record last month.
If you build it, they will come. Ridership in Virginia is up because Amtrak significantly increased service. Ridership in Oregon and Washington is also up because Amtrak similarly increased service. The new train from Chicago to Minneapolis is likely to greatly increase (double or greater) ridership on that route as well. Induced demand is real. Providing a good service at an affordable price causes people to use it.
The blue line of the MBTA in Boston is the first slow-zone free line on the system. Phil Eng, the new president of the MBTA as of a year ago, is killing it. He’s getting real results.
The VP of high speed rail development is pushing hard for high speed rail in Texas and it looks like it might actually happen.
Tl;dr there ARE good things happening in the world, but you need to look in the right place!