NationStates Jolt Archive

Let's all try not to politicise this.
This means no citing "The American Dream" as a pro-car argument, and no "The British made the railways" on the other side, for instance. Sorry to single out Americans, it was just the first example of politicisation of this issue that hopped into my head.

So, a couple of questions:

Freight. Should we regard rail as the most logical way of bulk-transporting goods, and so build up the rail infrastructure rather than just legislating to choke yet more of the country under road-widening schemes?

Passenger traffic. Ditto, really. Should people be encouraged to use private cars only as a shuttle service to and from their local railway station? Obviously this would need quite a lot of work put into the rail network- including re-instituting things like (secure) luggage vans and making timetables more reliable and realistic, but IMNERHO, it's the most efficient and environmentally friendly way of doing things.

Your thoughts, all, sundry, and moddies?

trains are significantly better than cars in some ways

the rail in chicago here is amazing, and with all the traffic, it makes sense to use the el instead of a car. the time it takes to get anywhere in the city is the same weather you use public transport or car, and public transport is probably cheaper and takes less effort. it doesnt make much sense though in colorado, where i used to live, since the city is so spread out any public system was equally sprawling. the busses were terrible from what i can remember, and everything took twice as long to get to by bus. for major urban centers, rail makes sense, in rural or mainly suburban places, public transport just doesnt work.

as for actual interstate transport, i personally think rail is a lot better. less room for operator error, fewer drivers, and they are easier to operate. it seems to me there are less accidents caused by trains than by cars, but i dont really know much about it.

trains are significantly better than cars in some ways

I especially love them because I can pretend I am one and go "Choo Choo!"

trains are significantly better than cars in some ways

I especially love them because I can pretend I am one and go "Choo Choo!"

I prefer cars. I can pretend I'm one and go "VROOM VROOM! EEEEEEEEEE *crash!*"

I prefer cars. I can pretend I'm one and go "VROOM VROOM! EEEEEEEEEE *crash!*"

You have a point. How about I stay neutral on this issue.

I prefer cars. I can pretend I'm one and go "VROOM VROOM! EEEEEEEEEE *crash!*"

You have a point. How about I stay neutral on this issue.

GUY POWA!


:? 12:11 am, speaks for itself

especially for frieght, rail is a lot better, and more efficient. takes up a lot less space and the logistics of one train are easier than trying to do it for dozens of trucks.

for passengers? I've been to Germany, and the passenger trains there were simply great. very fast, always on schedule (at least all my trains were), easy and sensibly laid out. very good for getting a large number of people from point A to point B using very little space.

trains are significantly better than cars in some ways

Not in my country since they were privatised.

Anyway I'm forced to use all forms of public transport because I don't have a car.

trains are significantly better than cars in some ways

Thr trains here (in the UK) are rubbish because of privatisation, but ill use them anyway

Bah, I don't know why your bothering, the subgect is Moot in any case. America is choked with hungery poltical organizations whose solution to every problem is BUILD MORE ROADS! Fat pork barrel govenment spending on 'public works' projects for massive interstate highways far outsrip any small amounts towad Rail.

AMTrack is a joke not because its underfunded, but because no one in the government gives a S*** about running it correctly... As we speak a 10 Billion dollor Mega Trucking Highway is beinging proposed along the East coast... The people who live by don't want it because of noise and Safty concerns... The Turcking industry doesn't want it because they will have to pay huge fees to use it... So who wants it?

Several construction firms and a couple of State reps who are fishing ofr easy money...

Hounstly, in a nation like America, where car companies spent extra money to 'RIP UP' mass transit rails in cities so they could never be used again, do oyu hounstly EVER think Rail is going to be an option? Hell NO!

Part of the problem in the US is that we have too many parts of the country that aren't densely populated enough to warrant a rail system. Where we have them in urban areas, they work wonderfully. I love the one here in San Francisco, and I've been on the NY subway system as well. But there's no real call for one in Arkansas, for instance.

Compare the population density for the US versus Europe and you'll get a solid idea of why mass transit works better there than it does here. Maybe if the US gets to about a billion people or so, we'll be forced into a national mass transit system, but I wouldn't hold my breath for it.