What Was the Golden Age of Train Travel Like?

Before the age of cars and planes, trains ruled America’s landscape. During the golden age of rail travel, which spanned from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century, the journey itself was as important as the destination. Trains at the time were more than just a means of transportation — they symbolized progress and adventure, moving and connecting freight and people like never before. Take a glimpse into what train travel in America was like during the heyday of the rails.

The Dawn of Rail Travel

The first passenger and freight railroad in the U.S. opened in 1830. The steam locomotives on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad didn’t go very far or get there very fast — the initial track was just 13 miles long, and trains traveled between 10 and 14 mph. In the early days of U.S. trains, there also were no distinctions in class. All passengers shared the same utilitarian experience, which was often crowded, noisy, dusty, and uncomfortable.

By the mid-1800s, as rail travel became more integral to American life, the passenger experience was upgraded to include better safety measures, improved braking systems, and even the occasional addition of parlor and drawing-room cars. 

The completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869 connected the coasts for the first time, revolutionizing U.S. rail travel. The first passenger journey on this railroad — from Omaha, Nebraska, to San Francisco, California — took 102 hours, passing through the vast and untamed western lands that had, until recently, belonged to Indigenous peoples and had never been seen by most travelers. 

Specialty Services Abound

By the turn of the 20th century, wealthy passengers were accustomed to luxurious train travel and all the comfort and amenities it offered. The arrival of the Pullman Palace cars on the Transcontinental Railroad in the mid-1860s introduced fold-down beds, large glazed windows, plush seating and carpets, and personal waiters. 

Overseas, the debut of the Orient Express in 1883 further elevated rail travel’s luxury appeal. Its lavish services and opulent design became the stuff of legend, attracting royalty, aristocrats, celebrities, and even spies from around the world. 

Railway dining cars of the era provided abundant gourmet meals prepared by elite chefs, while observation cars allowed passengers to take in sweeping, unobstructed views of the countryside. Specialty reading cars and even music cars, complete with organs and traveling theater troupes, were also in circulation. 

Of course, it wasn’t just the ultra-wealthy who traveled by train. Regular accommodations were simpler and cheaper than first class — passengers had to make do with whatever food was available at infrequent meal stops. The rest of the journey, they sat in basic reclining wooden seats, which were less than luxurious, but still an upgrade from the stagecoaches or steamships that moved people around before trains. 

Standard rail cars at the time were used by a wider range of passengers — those who simply couldn’t afford first-class fare or those traveling shorter distances, like much of the emerging working class who could now travel to and from jobs in the city. 

But even if regular rail travel wasn’t as much of a splurge as luxuriating in a Pullman Palace, it still wasn’t cheap: In the early 1900s, a train ticket from Chicago to New York would have cost just under $20. Adjusted for inflation, that’s almost $700 today. And with household U.S. income averaging between $3,000 and $5,000 per year throughout the 1920s, $20 was no doubt a decent chunk of money.

20th-Century Tumult

By 1920, U.S. railroad networks were more expansive than ever. About 1,500 U.S. railroads operated around 254,000 miles of track, and ridership was at its peak, with trains carrying some 1.2 billion passengers annually. The construction of iconic stations like Chicago’s Union Station and Cleveland’s Terminal Tower throughout the 1920s suggested that rail travel would remain a staple of American life for the foreseeable future. 

By the end of the decade, however, the Great Depression — along with expanding interstate highways and creeping competition from buses, cars, and planes — caused the start of decline in rail travel. Beautiful and luxurious art deco streamliners such as the Burlington Zephyr and famed Santa Fe Super Chief roared into service in the 1930s and helped sustain rail travel numbers throughout World War II. But by 1949, less than half of all intercity travelers were commuting by train — down from almost 75% just a few years prior. 

Following the war, car ownership in the U.S. skyrocketed, and by the 1960s, accessible commercial air travel planted the country firmly in the jet age. Passenger rail travel never regained its former prominence, and throughout the 1960s and 1970s, many railroad companies went bankrupt. In 1970, the federal government enacted the Rail Passenger Service Act and established what’s now known as Amtrak to manage intercity rail service.

Lingering Legacy

Though they’re no longer a top choice for transportation, passenger trains indeed remain an integral part of U.S. travel. In 2024, Amtrak reported approximately 32.8 million riders, up 15% percent from the previous year and signaling encouraging growth in intercity train travel. 

Today, the romance of train travel’s golden age also lives on through heritage railways and luxury train experiences. The Rocky Mountaineer offers passengers an unforgettable 11-day trip through Canada’s unspoiled west-coast wilderness, and in 2026, 17 vintage Orient Express train cars from the 1920s and 1930s will be revived for a new ride on the rails.