Out of the blue, Amtrak has decided to allow Americans in on the big rail pass scheme that's usually offered only to international visitors. We don't know why (we don't even know when Amtrak will arrive at the station, so how could we know about its business practices?), but the loosening of the rules can translate into some hefty savings off the usual rates. Just in time, too, for car-weary budgets.

Up to now, the USA Rail Pass was only offered to visitors from abroad. Americans who wanted the discount found themselves out of luck, so most of us didn't know much about it.

The USA Rail Pass works a lot like the more famous Eurail passes. It's good for a defined length of time (it comes in 15-day/$389, 30-day/$579, and 45-day/$749 varieties) and you can take a set number of trips during that period (8 for 15 days, 12 for 30, and $18 in 45 days).

The pass can be used both on trains and on the connecting Amtrak Thruway bus system. It can also be used anytime as long as you start using it within six months of buying it. There are a few notable exceptions, though. You can't use it for the swishy Acela service in the Northeast (although you can use it for regular train service serving the same cities), and the Auto Train to or from Florida (on which you also bring your car) is also out.

Let me begin by pointing out that I'm a big fan of train travel. I've ridden trains up and down the Eastern Seaboard and across half of Europe. I've hung out in old rail yards, searched out hidden rail tunnels, and once went to a wedding in the O. Winston Link museum. Like my Walletpop colleague Beth Wechsler, I'm a fan of the romance of train travel and would really like to see it come back. Unfortunately, though, I don't think Amtrak is going to make it happen.

Recently, the House of Representatives passed a bill authorizing almost $15 billion to fund Amtrak for the next five years. In addition to covering general operating expenses, the money would be used, with matching grants, to extend rail service into states where it is lacking. The justification for this massive expenditure was the fact that rail, ideally, provides a low-cost travel alternative for consumers.

There's a problem, though. First off, Amtrak isn't really low-cost. According to the Amtrak website, a ticket from Union Station in Washington D.C. to Penn Station in New York City ranges from $98 to just over $200 dollars. By comparison, a bus ticket for the same run generally goes for under $30. While the bus takes a little longer, it offers clean, comfortable seats. Amtrak, on the other hand, always leaves me desperately wanting to shower.

This post is part of our series ranking the top 25 bygone products and trends we'd like to see return.

There's something romantic about train travel. Is it the memories of the model train running on tracks around the Christmas tree, the luminous artwork in "The Polar Express"? The clips from old movies of the rich and fashionable strolling down the platform, carrying luggage in a gloved hand?

Maybe it's the names of the trains. The Silver Meteor which has run from New York to Miami since 1939. then there's The Cascades, The Adirondacker, The Heartland Flyer.

The sound of the wheels on the tracks, the blur as the country slides by outside the window of the dining car, has universal appeal. Train trinkets abound: On May 9th, there were 90,081 listings under "trains" on eBay, 12,109 under "railroad," with more bids than one might expect in the current economy.

But train travel is more than just a novelty. It is econ-friendly, for starters. Then there are more sights accessible by rail in the U.S. than most of us might assume - including the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, Yellowstone Park, and Disney World. The last full service railroad in the U.S. is the Alaska Railroad (http//alaskarailroad.com/arrc53.html) which offers special events including a beer train.

An Amtrak North America Railpass allows unlimited stops to over 900 destinations in both the U.S. AND Canada and is valid for up to 30 consecutive days. As gas prices rise and air travel gets more arduous, this may be just the ticket.

Think of all the forms of transportation Americans once depended upon. Which would you like to see return?