Inter-City Rail

Inter-City Rail or Intercity Rail, is a type of railway service similar to commuter rail, but in contrast usually covers travel over longer distances than a commuter rail service. Although there is no exact definition of an inter-city rail line, it is usually agreed upon as being greater than 80 miles (129 km) in total length, but less than 700 miles (1126 km).

Past History
Prior to 1971, most inter-city trains were operated by private railway companies across the United States. They were most common on the East Coast where they were operated mostly by the Pennsylvania Railroad, and the New York Central Railroad. Most, but not all of the lines formerly built and/or used by these companies still physically exist and are still used today.

Current Overview
Since May 1, 1971 and still to this day, virtually all inter-city trains in the United States are operated by the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, commonly known as Amtrak. A typical inter-city train in the Northeastern United States runs along the Northeast Corridor rail line from Boston, Massachusetts to Washington, D.C. (although some trains do not run the full distance on this rail line). Almost all inter-city rail lines share track with either commuter, freight, or both types of rail traffic. Sometimes, although uncommon inter-city trains do not run along the track the company owns, rather running along shared track owned by a freight railroad, although this is not always the case.