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" I remain defiantly optimistic about the future of trains in America. We used to have the fastest, smoothest, most comfortable trains in the world. Then, seemingly overnight, streamliners and thousands of miles of tracks just disappeared. America seems ready to rekindle its love affair with the train, but we need to do so in a way that promotes alternative fuels as a way of motivating massive trains. Amtrak, which has not turned a profit in, uh, forever, is moving forward with plans to test out a new biodiesel blend in one of its trains. The extended one-year experiment will try to prove the viability and lower emissions of a biodiesel train. But will it stick? Alas, the Amtrak train is not running on 100% biodiesel, but rather a blend of 80% regular diesel and 20% biodiesel. That alone makes me want to dismiss this experiment as nothing more than placating Amtrak&amp;#039;s perpetual government overlords. After all, the Federal Railroad Administration is paying for the experiment to the tune of $274,000. Which is actually pretty cheap, compared to many of the projects the government funds. The biodiesel blend is said to reduce carbon monoxide by 10%, particulates by 15%, and sulphates by 20% compared with standard diesel fuel. Not huge numbers, but not too shabby either. What makes this project somewhat interesting though is that the biodiesel blend is made from beef byproducts\u2026 from Texas. The train that is being tested is the Heartland Flyer, which runs between Fort Worth, Texas and Oklahoma City. If we could encourage the use of local fuels more, that would cut down on imports from overseas and transporting fuels long distances, etc etc. The Amtrak experiment runs for a year, and for the time being they are offering a buy one, get one 50% off deal. Kind of a lame attempt to get more riders if you ask me. It isn&amp;#039;t like Amtrak is going to turn a profit anytime soon anyway, so why not offer riders one free round-trip ride? Taxpayers are picking up the tab anyway. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/infrastructure/a5658/amtrak-begins-testing-biodiesel-train/>