Susanne Kronholm/Getty Images
READ MORE ABOUT:
The train, as a method of travel, has a lot stacked against it. It takes substantially longer than a plane ride. Locomotives wobble like gelatin on a trampoline. Plus, some passenger train companies have gotten a needlessly bad rap. Trains, however, are better for the environment than planes or driving alone. Here are five reason to ride the rails.
- The environment. Riding a train is considerably better than riding a plane as far as the environment is concerned. It is also a form of mass transportation. A group of people traveling together significantly lowers their overall carbon footprint. If every person on the train was driving their own car, it would be bad news for the climate.
- The scenery. I traveled by train from Omaha, Nebraska to Bakersfield, California. The trip took three days. In that time, we passed through the Rocky Mountains, Salt Lake City, Reno and Sacramento. The trains would stop at quiet Midwestern towns in the middle of the night and pick up families with mussed-haired, blanket-carrying children in tow. I saw wildlife-deer, wolves, eagles -from the observation car. We went through caves that had been bored into the mountainside. We followed the Colorado River out of Grand Junction, Colorado. People waved at us as they fished.
- The people. When you travel by train over a long distance, you get to know your fellow passengers. The trains have a dining tradition. If you go the dining car during meal time, you have to eat with strangers. I met a nice couple from Denver and the woman who grew the first square tomato.
- Relaxation. When you are on a train, you can't go anywhere. You can't do anything. You can't check your emails. You can't get any bills. No one wants you to help them move or give them a ride. My phone barely worked. All I could do was drink coffee, read books and sleep. It was heaven.
- Price. The train is substantially cheaper than a plane ticket. If you eat on the train everyday, it may offset some of that savings, but if you pack some lunches—you have to do the dining car at least once—the train is a bargain.
More on Trains:
MagLev Trains By 2025 In Japan, Could Reach 361 MPH!
Swedish Green Train Project Breaks Speed Barrier
Air Travel and Climate Change: Take the Train
-
- {}
