There is a plan to build a high speed rail system in California that would connect cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco by rail in a much more efficient way. For example, it now takes about 9 hours to take an Amtrak train between the two major cities in California. The high speed rail could make the same journey in as little as two and a half hours!
This is more than a luxury or gimmick to compete with the high speed rails of Japan and Europe. It would be a step towards developing much-needed alternatives to automobile and airplane travel.
I have always loved trains –even subways (well, not always -rush hour in Manhattan in the summer can be a little tiring). But the focus of this site will be on long distance train travel, such as Eurail, Amtrak and other railway systems around the world. Taking a long trip by train can be a fascinating experience. At times it can be tedious as well. I find that, after a few hours, it puts me into an almost meditative state I call the “train trance.”
Trains are also one of the few types of long distance travel where you can interact with strangers. Lounge and observation cars offer a unique social environment. Of course, cruise ships offer a different kind of socializing in their own way. But cruises aren’t really travel so much as floating nightclubs/casinos/tourist shops. While train travel is a fading practice, people still do take trains to get somewhere.
The Railroad Trips blog will offer a variety of articles and resources regarding train travel. Please offer your comments, especially about interesting trains you’ve been on!