http://themoderatevoice.com/25739/coming-soon-the-age-of-the-train/ An Internet hub with domestic and international news, analysis, original reporting, and popular features from the left, center, indies, centrists, moderates, and right Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:49:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 http://themoderatevoice.com/25739/coming-soon-the-age-of-the-train/comment-page-1/#comment-169621 Jim_Satterfield Tue, 20 Jan 2009 01:13:36 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/25739/coming-soon-the-age-of-the-train/#comment-169621 A major part of the problem with passenger rail in this country is that it in fact has been all but abandoned, with the tracks being completely controlled by the freight lines that subsume passenger rail to the interests of freight, delaying passenger trains on a whim. This makes maintaining a decent schedule virtually impossible. If we were to simply begin the process of building a parallel system to the existing ones where possible and take a serious look at reviving rail with a system faster than what we have now but not bullet train speeds a major revival is quite possible. Good food, comfortable chairs and high speed wireless all the way would be a very doable service and would attract lots of people to a system unlike anything Americans have ever seen. I would love to see a pilot project making a triangle between Chicago, St. Louis and Kansas City. From St. Louis a line could drop south to New Orleans. From Kansas City one could go west to Denver and south to Tulsa, Oklahoma City and Dallas. A major part of the problem with passenger rail in this country is that it in fact has been all but abandoned, with the tracks being completely controlled by the freight lines that subsume passenger rail to the interests of freight, delaying passenger trains on a whim. This makes maintaining a decent schedule virtually impossible. If we were to simply begin the process of building a parallel system to the existing ones where possible and take a serious look at reviving rail with a system faster than what we have now but not bullet train speeds a major revival is quite possible. Good food, comfortable chairs and high speed wireless all the way would be a very doable service and would attract lots of people to a system unlike anything Americans have ever seen. I would love to see a pilot project making a triangle between Chicago, St. Louis and Kansas City. From St. Louis a line could drop south to New Orleans. From Kansas City one could go west to Denver and south to Tulsa, Oklahoma City and Dallas.

]]> http://themoderatevoice.com/25739/coming-soon-the-age-of-the-train/comment-page-1/#comment-169607 AshenShard Mon, 19 Jan 2009 21:54:28 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/25739/coming-soon-the-age-of-the-train/#comment-169607 sd, a train ride taking so long and being expensive compared to flying is due to the fact that our rail systems have lacked the investment given to other transportation by our government. If we were to put money into planning and executing an effective nationwide system of rapid rail transportation, then not only would it only take hours rather than days, but more people would travel by train and prices would go down due to larger volume. sd, a train ride taking so long and being expensive compared to flying is due to the fact that our rail systems have lacked the investment given to other transportation by our government. If we were to put money into planning and executing an effective nationwide system of rapid rail transportation, then not only would it only take hours rather than days, but more people would travel by train and prices would go down due to larger volume.

]]> http://themoderatevoice.com/25739/coming-soon-the-age-of-the-train/comment-page-1/#comment-169576 superdestroyer Mon, 19 Jan 2009 14:06:19 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/25739/coming-soon-the-age-of-the-train/#comment-169576 ONe of the problem with trains in the U.S. versus Europe is that Europe is just so much smaller. Taking the train from New York City to Florida is a two day affair and it actually more expensive than flying. And when you get to Florida, you still have to rent a car at a train station that is not designed for car rentals. ONe of the problem with trains in the U.S. versus Europe is that Europe is just so much smaller. Taking the train from New York City to Florida is a two day affair and it actually more expensive than flying. And when you get to Florida, you still have to rent a car at a train station that is not designed for car rentals.

]]>