Support for NPR comes from NPR member stations and Eric and Wendy Schmidt

through the Schmidt Family Foundation working toward a healthy,

resilient, secure world for all. On the web at the Schmidt.org. Airlines are dealing with delays, cancellations, and sky-high ticket prices.

Airfares have gone up 25% in the last year, that's according to the Consumer Price Index.

And the highways remain congested,

even as many expand.

The average US driver spent 42 hours

or a full work week in traffic congestion last year. That's according to a report by Enrich

a transportation analytics firm. Enter, trains. I must say there's not a month

that goes by that I don't talk to my husband and just wish that we could

travel by train versus plane or sitting in the car on highways a A train seems much more romantic in that you don't have to worry about

traffic, you can read a book, be engaged in what you want to be engaged in.

It wouldn't affect my commute in my everyday life,

but it would very much affect my vacation and travel plans.

Kim, thanks for that message.

More travelers like Kim are looking for alternatives to flying and driving,

and a record number of people are turning to trains.

While passenger trains have been a common mode of transportation for centuries,

the country has never had a dedicated high-speed rail line. That's expected to change in the next few

years, with two high-speed rail lines currently under construction in the

southwest and several more in planning phases across the country. How could

high-speed rail change the landscape of transportation in the US.

...