I recently went on a holiday using high speed rail in Europe (1100km). Flying was cheaper and faster. Sadly I have feeling of empathy and principles so I went with the train anyway. Wasn't too bad though just did a lot of reading.
this post was submitted on 19 Jun 2025
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Trains not planes is a much more reasonable and practical way to get people behind building more railways than planes not cars. We can talk planes not cars once some of the initial infrastructure is in place, but I think focusing on replacing something people hate (flying) rather than replacing something they like (driving) is probably a good place to start.
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And for one more added bonus we wouldn’t have to fix the problems with air traffic control
The cost of dedicated passenger rail lines is staggering, and the US has a LOT of ground to cover.
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Rail is hard if it's from one country to another (I think Europe is the exception)
In my case, I have to take rail from Ankara to Edirne, Edirne to Bucharest, Bucharest to Vienna, and after Vienna I can access anywhere in Europe
The problem is, going from Edirne to Bucharest requires two visas
Even in the EU there are still some difficulties. Like Finland and Estonia are on broad gauge not standard gauge. So their network isn’t connected to the rest of the EU. Spain and French haven’t connected their high speed rail network because of some dispute. So you have to get off at the border take a slow train across the border than walk to another platform to get on the other train.
Also rules says the crew needs to speak the local language of the country the train drives trough and traffic rules vary by country so if the driver doesn’t speak the language or doesn’t know the rules they need to change drivers when a train crosses a border which adds more delays.
Problem is also that there are still many rail networks in Europe that are privately owned.
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Every time I take an airplane, I feel tired and worn out. I don't want to do anything for the rest of the day except take a nap.
Trains are no problem.
The main reasons might be relatively low oxygen at altitude (cabins are usually pressurized somewhere between 1/3rd to 1/2 atmosphere) and uncomfortable seats. But I think the whole dreary process of getting on and off the airplane is part of it, too. Train stations are so much more low key, even in large metropolitan areas.
You also don't have to show up 2 hours in advance to a train station and plan your entire day(or two) around a trip.
I mean, some of this is just silly and entirely based on the locations involved. For instance, a flight from Chicago to Florida is going to be cheaper and faster than Rail, and you’re not going to just hop off wherever the hell you want. And no you can’t just hop on the next one, you miss your train departure and you’re SOL.
I do also question the “safety” aspect. I’m pretty sure both trains and planes have extremely high safety rates, and are pretty much on par with each other.
Also… why is “on the ground” a bullet point? You’re on the ground 99.9% of your life, you telling me it’s not cool as shit to be flying through the air?
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