One-bag, carry-on, light travel tips, techniques, and gear

OBOW ON THE TGVLast week, the Chinese took one of their trains past 300 mph. While other trains have gone faster, this is the first time one has done over 300 on unmodified rails—meaning the same tracks the train will actually use.

And that gets me wondering. Should we seriously be looking into improving our high speed rail system and is it a true alternative to air travel?

Depending on who you ask, China and the United States are approximately the same size in square miles. Yet our train system is antiquated and lacking. We prefer to fly. But with the hassles of flying, should we be looking at alternatives.

Right now, in the U.S., the only high speed rail service we have is Amtrak’s Acela between Washington, DC and Boston. Its top speed is around 150 mph. On hops between Washing and New York, the train beats the plane when going downtown to downtown. So much so, that the famed hourly shuttles between LaGuardia and Reagan National have all but disappeared.

But what about a longer distance. Say New York to Chicago. The trip is approximately 800 miles. To go from city center to city center, considering the drive to and from the airport as well as the two hours check in time, it would take about 6 hours by plane.

At 150 MPH….the train would take nearly that. At 200 mph, it would take just over 4 hours. (Actual time would vary depending on the number of stops.

But with proper routing, one train could take the place of up to half a dozen planes, save on fuel, and lessen pollution.

Think about it….New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Toledo, Chicago. All on one train.

No nude-0-scopes. No groping. No cramped seats. The ability to move around. Have a real meal. And even enjoy the scenery.

Currently, China is upgrading 13,000 miles of track for high speed rail. The Obama administration has mentioned their interest in high speed rail. That automatically turned the Republicans off strictly for political reasons.

But on a practical side, is this where our transportation dollars should be going?

(Frank II)

Update on December 6, 2010 by

Frank@OBOW

Going light is helpful, even for train travel. An excerpt from an old post:

The high-speed TGV is cool and comfortable, but boarding one with a lot of luggage is not. A small carryon is also a must if you want to keep your bag nearby since the overhead rack on the TGV is not too spacious. And the TGV is double decked - another reason not to have a large or heavy bag.

Boarding a train in Europe can be as hectic as boarding a jetliner, only the pace is much faster. If the US had a similar network of trains I’m quite sure they be slow and less efficient and that the boarding process would be slower to accommodate us slow Americans.

(Brad)