As part of the Recovery Act, Amtrak is receiving 1.3 billion in grant funding. This has the potential to turn into good news, though there are no guarantees with railroad companies. Vice President Biden said that "For too long, we haven't made the investments we needed to make Amtrak as safe, as reliable, as secure as it can be." If Amtrak uses money for safety improvements, we will all be grateful. Either way, this is a fresh reminder that railroads are here to stay in the American economy, into the 21st century.