Trains for Nature: Railroads and the American Land

Discover how America's abandoned passenger trains hold the key to preserving our nation's scenic treasures and wilderness landscapes.

In this timely and provocative work, renowned environmental historian Alfred Runte challenges our blind embrace of highways and airports, revealing how the decline of passenger rail has scarred America's legendary landscapes. From national parks to urban corridors, Runte demonstrates how modern transportation choices are destroying the very vistas we claim to cherish.

Drawing on decades of research and his experience as advisor to Ken Burns's acclaimed National Parks documentary series, Runte offers a compelling vision for reuniting transportation with conservation:

• Reveals how European nations successfully preserved their scenic landscapes through rail transportation
• Explores the hidden environmental costs of abandoning America's passenger rail system
• Demonstrates how restoring rail service could protect wilderness areas from destructive development
• Challenges conventional wisdom about "progress" in transportation policy

This expanded edition, featuring a new preface and epilogue, arrives at a critical moment as wind farms and solar installations threaten even protected wilderness areas. For anyone concerned about preserving America's natural heritage while addressing climate change, this passionate appeal for the return of passenger rail offers hope for a more sustainable and beautiful future.

 

An internationally recognized expert on national parks and railroads, Alfred Runte is based in Seattle, Washington. He was among the principal advisers to Ken Burns’s PBS documentary The National Parks: America's Best Idea (2009), and appeared in all six episodes of the Emmy Award-winning series. His other books include Trains of Discovery: Railroads and the Legacy of our National Parks; Yosemite: The Embattled Wilderness; and the fifth edition of his critically-acclaimed National Parks: The American Experience. He was the recipient, in 2021, of the Stewart L. Udall Award from the Western National Parks Association in honor of his lifetime commitment to parks and wilderness.