European Railroad Discussion > BBC - How to travel by train and ditch the plane

Interesting article about flight shaming in Europe and Asia.  No mention of dining cars or food!   I guess the Europeans are not supersized yet.  

How to travel by train - and ditch the plane https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-51007504 

The sad thing is, people believe what this little girl is saying. Directed by her publicity seeking parents, she has no idea what she is talking about. But who cares, it will all end in 12 years anyway if you believe her and her left wing cohorts. That said, in Europe, it is faster to take their excellent high speed trains on shorter journeys..say from Frankfurt to Munich or similar. And to get to intermediate stops not served by air. Anything longer would be because of a love for train travel, or fear of flying, or cost. While I'm not a fan of flying, how else does she propose I get to and from Europe 6 times per year? Of course she would be equally horrified for one of my two main reasons for going there. Hint, lots of coal and smoke is involved. I guess I'm just a bad person for having a huge carbon footprint.....whatever that is. 

Medium distance (300 miles to 500 miles) in Europe is often traveled by rail.  Auto travel can be hindered by $6 and $7 gasoline along with toll roads, while the hub and spoke airline system can impede an otherwise easy trip.

andersonb109 Wrote:
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> The sad thing is, people believe what this little
> girl is saying. Directed by her publicity seeking
> parents, she has no idea what she is talking
> about. But who cares, it will all end in 12 years
> anyway if you believe her and her left wing
> cohorts. That said, in Europe, it is faster to
> take their excellent high speed trains on shorter
> journeys..say from Frankfurt to Munich or similar.
> And to get to intermediate stops not served by
> air. Anything longer would be because of a love
> for train travel, or fear of flying, or cost.
> While I'm not a fan of flying, how else does she
> propose I get to and from Europe 6 times per year?
> Of course she would be equally horrified for one
> of my two main reasons for going there. Hint, lots
> of coal and smoke is involved. I guess I'm just a
> bad person for having a huge carbon
> footprint.....whatever that is. 

Don't be ridiculous, she's not the only one saying these things... and she knows very well what she's talking about.

He is not rediculous because he disagrees with you,
The BBC unearthed two teens who traveled by rail from Austria to Vietnam. How many others will follow that practice? Talk about rediculous, but credit to the BBC for explaining the challenges to the vision.  
Just staying in Vienna would have been better for the carbon footprint.
Several years ago the FRA and Amtrak came up with a line relocation program in eastern Connecticut to speed Acela service from New York to Boston. Let's make it competitive with air. The Connecticut governor and both senators went into orbit and threatened to defund Amtrak. All green new deal supporters. But not in my back yard. 
You of all people should know the UK passenger numbers have doubled in 25 years. How many more trains can you pour on to the WCML, ECML, and GWML, not to mention London suburban. Very few. 
HS2 is under threat because of costs, and just a wee bit of not in my back yard as well. 
The Wall Street Journal recently had an article about a proposed solar farm east of Las Vegas designed to power 130,000 homes. The environmentalists are opposed because it would decimate wild life in the region. They are right.
There is no free lunch when it comes to energy, only choices. 

The Amtrak bypass in eastern CT would have bypassed Senator Chris Dodd's home town, New London. He led the fight to keep the older, slower route.

The shore line would have been retained for slower trains.

Posted from Android

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
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> The Amtrak bypass in eastern CT would have
> bypassed Senator Chris Dodd's home town, New
> London. He led the fight to keep the older, slower
> route.

I think that was perhaps the biggest mistake in USA intercity passenger rail in the last half century.

Politicians , what are they good for?

ts1457 Wrote:
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(SNIP)
>
> Politicians , what are they good for?

Best government money can buy!

The bypass had a lot going for it in the late 1980s. Largely open land in eastern CT. Straight as a ruler between New Haven and the improved section of the NEC south of Providence.

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ts1457 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> (SNIP)
> >
> > Politicians , what are they good for?
>
> Best government money can buy!
>
> The bypass had a lot going for it in the late
> 1980s. Largely open land in eastern CT. Straight
> as a ruler between New Haven and the improved
> section of the NEC south of Providence.


No it wasn't, not even close.  Why must you always turn everything into an exaggerated fairy tale? 

https://www.theday.com/storyimage/NL/20170712/NWS01/170719799/AR/0/AR-170719799.jpg&Maxw=800&q=62

darkcloud Wrote:
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> No it wasn't, not even close.  Why must you
> always turn everything into an exaggerated fairy
> tale? 
>
> https://www.theday.com/storyimage/NL/20170712/NWS0
> 1/170719799/AR/0/AR-170719799.jpg&Maxw=800&q=62

Straight enough for me! I still rule it as a major missed opportunity.

The plan would have resulted in a 2 hour 45 minute schedule.
The opposition, led by historical and environmental groups, were adamantly opposed.
The  Connecticut politicians called for a better plan at the time, and then went silent when the FRA withdrew the proposal.
The better plan is apparently keeping things just as they are today.
Such is the story of HSR in America, build it somewhere else.