Reply #15: The myth that trains are slower [View All]

[Stinky The Clown]

We all know about the high speed and ultra high speed trains in Japan and Europe. I had the distinct pleasure of taking the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto to Osaka and back to Tokyo. It is fast and incredibly smooth. Almost no sensation of its 240+ klick speed.

But here in the US, too, such trains are starting into service. Not nearly as fast as either the TGV or the Shinkansen, the Amtrak Accela is a damn fine ride. The train it replaced as the top line ride, the Metroliner, makes it from DC to NYC in 2 hours and 59 minutes (per Amtrak's older claims) Baltimore to NYC was 2:25.

Contrast that to a flight from DC (or Baltimore) to NYC. For me, that was a one hour ride to National Airport (I still can't bring myself to call it Reagan). An hour to wait to board. 35 minutes flight time, and the rest of the third hour to get to the taxi stand at LaGuardia. Depending on the time of day and traffic, it can be as much as another hour to midtown. So that makes the trip between 3-1/2 and 4 hours, door to door.

I can drive to the BWI Rail Station in 15 minutes. If I time it right, I wait no more than 10 minutes for the train. Let's call that a half hour. The trip from there to NYC is 2:50. A ten minute cab ride and I am where I need to be. At worst for the train and at best for the plane, the train is ten minutes faster. This says nothing of the train being more comfortable and interesting and FAR more stress-free. Its actually downright relaxing.

As we start to add increased baording time for the bullshit at the airports and the train may be faster for longer distances. Even with a slight time penalty, the train, for short and mid haul trips is my preference.