Painfully high energy costs and headache-inducing congestion have made many politicians, local governments, and ordinary citizens reconsider the value of high-speed rail. (USA Today — Larry Copeland)

This Labor Day, trains are in and planes are out — Amtrak predicts a 10 percent jump in ridership over the previous year for the holiday weekend, while the Air Transport Association forecast a 6 percent drop from last year in the number of people flying. (USA Today — Emily Bazar and Alan Levin)

As the costs of flying and driving look less and less appealing, residents in Arizona are taking a second look at passenger rail, and a few proposals are gaining momentum as a result. (Arizona Republic — Glen Creno)

With demand for Amtrak’s high-speed train between New York and Boston rising fast, the company may be looking to add new cars and raise fairs. (Bloomberg News)

With Amtrak accommodating huge numbers of inter-city travelers looking to avoid the skyrocketing cost of flying or driving, Illinois Senator Dick Durbin is pushing Congress to reinvest in our aging stock of rail cars and drive domestic train manufacturing. (Chicago Tribune — Jon Hilkevitch)

Editorialist argues that by building a high-speed rail network connecting cities fewer than 400 miles apart, U.S. could help ease dependence on foreign oil and offer an alternative to inefficient, short-distance flights. (San Francisco Chronicle — Ed Perkins)

High gas prices and rising ridership put Amtrak in a favorable position, but Newsweek asserts that getting America’s rail network up to speed might be a “tall order.” (Newsweek — Daniel Stone)

Amtrak raising fares to match higher fuel costs, and expects to exceed record ridership of 25.8 million set last year. (Chicago Tribune – Rick Popely)

NYTimes Editorial Board urges Congress to fully support Amtrak and scrap plans for a “pointless experiment in privatization.”  (New York Times)