High-speed rail development in the U.S. and Europe has been different due to government policies and infrastructure. Europe values rail for passenger service more than the U.S., seeing benefits in congestion relief, environmental improvement, and energy conservation. In the U.S., rail was not supported as much, leading to obstacles for private participation. The 1991 Intermodal Transportation Efficiency Act is a step forward, but more needs to be done to remove barriers for state and local use of federal funds for rail projects.