Editing Autorack (section)

==== Auto-Train Corporation ====
On December 6, 1971, [[Auto-Train Corporation]] introduced a new and innovative rail transportation service for both passengers and their automobiles in the United States, operating scheduled service between [[Lorton, Virginia]] (near [[Washington DC]]) and [[Sanford, Florida]], near [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]].

The Auto Train offered an alternative to motorists who would otherwise have to drive their automobiles the {{convert|855|mi|km|0|adj=on}} distance along the East Coast of the United States. For vacationers with destinations at one or more of the many popular tourist attractions of Florida, the Auto Train service offered two advantages:
# avoid the long automobile ride on busy [[Interstate 95]] in [[Virginia]], [[North Carolina]], [[South Carolina]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], and [[Florida]]
# have the convenience of using their own automobile upon arrival.

From the beginning in 1971, the same year [[Amtrak]] began service on purely passenger routes in the United States, a key feature of Auto-Train's new service was the use of autoracks, which were former [[Canadian National]] transcontinental bi-level, enclosed autorack boxcars. These were augmented by new tri-level auto-racks built by Southern Iron & Equipment in 1976.

The privately owned service became very popular, but after 10 years of operation, and some costly attempts to expand the service elsewhere, such as a schedule between Florida and [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]], Auto-Train Corporation entered bankruptcy, and service ended in April 1981.