Re:Train speed record set between London and Bristol
by beatgammit on Monday September 30, 2019 @10:47AM
(#21115906)
Can confirm, the commuter train here runs ~75 mph and is quite popular. Then again, it's competing with 70mph highway.
I have looked into taking Amtrak several times, but it takes 2-3x as long as driving, 5-10x as long as flying, is more expensive than both, and has far fewer destinations. It's a hard sell for anything other than taking a train for the experience or short distances. Trains should be cheaper than airplanes and faster than cars, but they're neither in the US...
Re:Train speed record set between London and Bristol
by cannonedhamster on Monday September 30, 2019 @11:31AM
(#21116393)
Yes I've often wondered why trains are so expensive compared to airplanes as well. We have a him but it's literally cheaper and faster to fly and that makes no sense.
Re:Train speed record set between London and Bristol
by cannonedhamster on Monday September 30, 2019 @11:29AM
(#21116382)
Where are you getting these amazing 50MPH trains? Do they run on some new type of magic energy source? We're lucky when they break 30MPH here. It takes longer to take the train than to sit in bumper to bumper traffic.
However, efforts like this will make people take trains rather than drive. I wish this would happen in the United States.
If trains went 100 miles an hours on average instead of 50, a lot more people would take trains.
Heck, 75 miles an hour on average would be incredible.