And while those new services were being introduced, older commuter agencies embarked on ambitious capital projects, opening new routes, adding stations, increasing service levels, and replacing equipment. In April 2001, the American Public Transportation Association reported that the use of buses and trains in the United States grew 21 percent in the five years between 1996 and 2000, outpacing the growth in automobile use for the first time since World War 2. State and local governments were pressed to look for solutions. In cities with existing railroad lines or rights of way, commuter rail provided an answer. Public funding at the federal, state, and local levels supplied the financial resources.
Commuter trains serve metropolitan areas, and are financed and managed by governmental agencies.
In some cases the commuter railroads or another governmental authority owns the tracks over which the trains operate. In other cases, the trains operate on tracks owned by freight railroads via trackage rights agreements. Some agencies subcontract the operation of their commuter trains to Amtrak, the freight railroads, or an outside contractor, while others employ their own crews. While individual operations vary considerably, all commuter railroads share some common traits. Train frequency is heaviest during the morning and evening rush hours, referred to as peak periods.