Most transportation of all kinds is local, but the value of being connected to the bigger economic and cultural hubs (ie, with Amtrak) is outsized in rural areas. Here in Vermont I often feel that many people think of “intercity” transportation (the very word carries a bias) as between one city enpoint and another. If you are flying, that’s true, but the value of trains is that they can stop en-route with little fuss. Even high-speed trains, although the time penalty is greater. Places like Rutland, Vermont depend on their trains for regional vitality – in an abstract local pride of being “on the map” – but also in practical ways like being able to recruit doctors or consultants with clients in the city.