Big Number or Smaller Number, Up Is Still Up.
When talking about the resurgence of interest in train travel, the tendency is to quote big numbers … noting, for example, that Amtrak ridership over the past three or four years has increased from 21 to 25 million passengers a year.
The trouble is, it’s hard to grasp any practical meaning from numbers that big.
Amtrak’s Southwest Chief stops for passengers at Galesburg.
OK, so here’s a much smaller number. Smaller, yes, but it’s still another example of the increasing popularity of rail travel coming from the heart of middle America … from Galesburg, Illinois.
According to Shannon O’Malley, the Station Agent at Galesburg, ridership there is now more than 100,000 a year. Pretty impressive for a town with just 35,000 residents, wouldn’t you say?
“25 million passengers a year” is also a fairly meaningless number. Is someone in coach on a 30 minute commuter run being counted the same as someone in a sleeper car travelling across America?
Passenger rail miles is a more sensible measurement.
Absolutely … and that, in a nutshell, is the argument for high-speed rail: Between cities 300 miles apart or less, a high-speed train will get you there just as fast (or faster), in more comfort and with less stress. At the same time, both air pollution and air traffic will be reduced. The Europeans figured that out 40 years ago!
With all of the security measure put in place by the airlines, tarin travel seems far more efficient, particularly on the east coast. I “45 minute” flight from Philadelphia to Boston will actually take you easily 4 hours, given arrival times and waiting for bags. And that is assuming the flight takes off on time. The train is a more sure thing.
— Dan
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