When Amtrak began its services on this day in 1971, it began an ambitious marketing campaign to revive and modernize passenger rail travel in the United States. Because people preferred traveling in cars and planes, Amtrak emphasized convenience and comfort so they can attract travelers toward taking trains again. This mission was also reflected in their tagline, “We’re making the trains worth traveling again.” The name “Amtrak,” a portmanteau of “America” and “track,” was meant to embody a fres