Those trains de gros volume sure look impressive with their two-story heights and huge diesel engines. But speed is a different matter: it will take you up to twelve hours to rally San Francisco from L.A., when the same distance would take less than three hours in a train à grande vitesse. Rail ownership, distance and air travel are just a few factors in the decline of rail travel and investment in the U.S. There have been talks of a high-sped rail connection linking San Francisco to San Diego, yet no walk so far. Will growing environmental concerns and common sense prompt transportation officials to reconsider the benefits of rail travel, and make it a convenience rather than a quaint oddity?
photo LA Frog
