Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970

American intercity passenger rail operator

Economy & BusinessPolitics & Government
Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970
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Overview

What happened

On May 1, 1971, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, later known as Amtrak, was formed to take over the operation of most US passenger rail serv...

Date

May 1, 1971

Location

Washington, D.C., United States

Key people

William Graham Claytor Jr.

Why it matters

This article provides a detailed and nuanced account of the creation of Amtrak, including the historical context and the key players involved, such as President Richard Nixon and Wil...

What was Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970?

The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak (; reporting marks AMTK, AMTZ), is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in every contiguous U.S. state except for Wyoming and South Dakota as well as in three Canadian provinces. Amtrak is a portmanteau of the words America and track. Founded in 1971 as a quasi-public corporation to operate many U.S. passenger rail routes, Amtrak receives a combination of state and federal subsidies but is managed as a for-profit organization.

The Pennsylvania Railroad's Congressional in the 1960s
The Pennsylvania Railroad's Congressional in the 1960s
Related books
Rail Passenger Service Act amendments of 1983 United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. · 1983 Review and refunding of Rail passenger service act United States. Congress. House. Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce. Subcommittee on Transportation and Aeronautics. · 1972 Laws relating to rail passenger service including the Rail passenger service act United States · 1975 Report to Congress on the Rail passenger service act United States. Dept. of Transportation. · 1973 Rail passenger service act of 1970 United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Commerce · 1970
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Background and consequences

The company's headquarters is located one block west of Union Station in Washington, D.C. Amtrak is headed by a Board of Directors, two of whom are the secretary of transportation and chief executive officer (CEO) of Amtrak, while the other eight members are nominated to serve a term of five years. Amtrak's network includes over 500 stations along 21,400 miles (34,400 km) of track. It directly owns approximately 623 miles (1,003 km) of this track and operates an additional 132 miles (212 km) of track; the remaining mileage is over rail lines owned by other railroad companies.

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Related on thisDay

Amtrak — May 1, 1971

40 million passengers relied on 20 private railroads until Washington D.C. saw Amtrak's birth on May 1, 1971, changing US transportation forever.

Use the dated article for the day-specific account; use these references to check the event record and explore its wider historical context.

Date article: Amtrak — May 1, 1971Wikipedia source
Cite this page
MLA

“Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970.” thisDay, thisday.info/history/rail-passenger-service-act-of-1970/. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

APA

Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://thisday.info/history/rail-passenger-service-act-of-1970/

Chicago

“Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970.” thisDay. Accessed October 19, 2026. https://thisday.info/history/rail-passenger-service-act-of-1970/.

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