For a country that has always been proud of its history, America has the reputation of leaving behind one of its most important cultural artifacts. Project yourself back to the end of the 19th Century: merchandises, food, people and machines, zipping (although chugging would perhaps be a more apt term) across the Great Plains and the Manufacturing Belt. The railways epitomized the grandeur of the U.S.’s industrial development.

Today, however, railroads are no longer at the forefront of technology. The democratization of both the car and the airplane seemed to have sounded the train’s death knell. In fact, when asking the best way to go to Chicago, taking the train was an outlandish suggestion to most.

Yet the disaffection with the train is perplexing: The seats are wide and comfy, the amenities are better than those of the coaches, and the prices are cheap if you buy them early. No need to go through security and be vigorously patted down, no limits on liquids, no fretting about whether you’ll get your luggage back. As for driving there, I’d rather kick back for five hours than have to stay on the road.

Having gone to Chicago both by Megabus and by Amtrak, there is no doubt for me as to which is the superior alternative. Forty-dollar return to Chicago is cheaper than both the coach and the plane. Nonetheless, the train still suffers from a reputation of uncompetitive prices and slow travel.

Perhaps the main problem is that the railway lines are being dismantled little by little. The trains and the lines date from the 1970s and have not seen much in the way of renovation.

In Europe, countries that have nationalized their railroads have managed to provide a strong and competitive railway system. U.S. companies may need government help to deal with the high running costs of railway tracks. Why should the government be interested? With the rising cost of gas, public transportation will only become more important, especially to poorer American citizens. Better public transportation improves everyone’s lives: It reduces traffic on the roads and provides a cheaper alternative to those who cannot drive to work.

The companies’ demands for help have not fallen on deaf ears. Will President Obama’s announcement of subsidies to create high-speed railway lines reverse the railroad’s decline? Systems like the T.G.V. in France or the Shinkansen in Japan have completely changed the nature of regional travel. Imagine going from Wash. U. to the center of Chicago in three hours! Even though the announcement was greeted with sarcasms and half-raised smiles, improving public transportation is one area where the government can act to great effect; restoring rail-roads to their former glory would make traveling that much faster, cheaper and more efficient.