One railway can carry more traffic than a 4-lane highway, utilizes less resources, and has greater safety and less stress (on people, animals, and the environment).

Integrating trains and bicycles has the potential to meet a large part of society's need for mobility.

 

photo of a small train station in Northern Denmark (1999)

 

small tourist 'train' in Norway

Acela is Amtrak's high-speed train from Boston to Washington. A national network of high-speed trains could relieve road and air congestion in the U.S.  This brings up an important issue: How fast do we need to travel?  Some people have reported feeling sick on high-speed trains in Europe and Asia.  Is the journey about getting to point B as fast as possible, or enjoying the journey as it unfolds?  There is a Native American saying worth considering:  'If you move too fast, you leave your soul behind.'  Another says:  'the fastest a human should travel is the speed of a galloping horse'.  We tend to think that 80mph is as fast as we need our trains to travel...    The landscape starts to blur when traveling much faster.  Your thoughts?

 
train tunnel in Alaska

Links:

Effort to Restore Passenger Rail in Southern Montana, including through Missoula: Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority