Stuff, 12/23/16:
Do trains have a future here? Four routes that could come back
It's no secret that the golden era of trains in this country is over.
In 1965, New Zealand trains carried 25 million passengers. In 1998 that number was down to 11 million - and almost all of that was suburban travel, not intercity. It used to be illegal for a truck to carry freight long distance, now its pretty much the norm.