I remain defiantly optimistic about the future of trains in America. We used to have the fastest, smoothest, most comfortable trains in the world. Then, seemingly overnight, streamliners and thousands of miles of tracks just disappeared. America seems ready to rekindle its love affair with the train, but we need to do so in a way that promotes alternative fuels as a way of motivating massive trains.
Amtrak, which has not turned a profit in, uh, forever, is moving forward with plans to test out a new biodiesel blend in one of its trains. The extended one-year experiment will try to prove the viability and lower emissions of a biodiesel train. But will it stick?