Page 136 - Introduction to Tourism

Because Amtrak is subsidized, suppliers of the other

modes of transportation (especially bus) feel that

Amtrak is attracting its customers with taxpayer
assistance.

However, even with the controversy, Congress is likely

to see that Amtrak remains in business for the
foreseeable future. Amtrak typically faces annual cuts

in its funding

but is usually rescued by Congress.

High - Speed Rail
The countries that have trains currently operating at

125 to 185 miles per hour (mph) (200 – 300 kilometers

per hour [km/h]) are Belgium, China, Finland, France,
Germany, Italy, Japan, Portugal, South Korea, Spain,

Taiwan, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United

States. As constraints on the growth of highway and air
travel systems build, high - speed rail has the potential

to relieve congestion on other systems. High – speed

trains have lower energy consumption per passenger
mile than air or automobile modes of transportation.

They can move passengers at speeds far faster than

cars.
While they do not travel as fast as jet planes, they have

advantages over air travel for relatively short distances

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