Following the end of the Railway Mail Service (or Postal Transportation Service, as it was renamed in 1949), and the withdrawal of the New York & Washington Railway Post Office, some mail has continued to move by rail. Amtrak initiated a mail train between Boston and Washington, with some service to intermediate cities such as New York and Philadelphia. Mail was carried in sealed cars and RoadRailers (specially built highway trailers designed for use on railroads) between major termini until September 30, 2006, when Amtrak abandoned most of its head-end traffic operations to concentrate upon its core function of moving intercity passengers.
Several railway companies have likewise continued services using trailers suitable for transport on railways and other modes of transportation from the 1970s to the present. Current operators are Norfolk Southern's subsidiary, Thoroughbred-Direct Intermodal Services, and the Florida East Coast Railway. First class, Priority, and Express Mail have been carried over railroads during the past three decades.
