The Many Benefits of Rail Travel
When riding on the very fast ICE trains on my recent trip to Belgium I couldn’t help but imagine being on an American highway instead. I would look at the many passengers and imagine each one inside of their own giant metal box. The rows upon rows of people in the train turned into rows upon rows of flowing traffic. I realized that by riding on this train we are saving so much space that would have been bulky cement roads. We are just cruising together on this thin track using far less fossil fuels to get to where we need to be.
I reached Belgium from Bonn in under 3 hours, since we were zooming at almost 200 miles per hour. And the best part is, we do it very safely. There is virtually nothing to run into, which is the beauty of train infrastructure. There were no seat belts on the train, we just didn’t need them.
Another great benefit of these high speed rails is that there is no need for pit stops; they are equipped with bathrooms and food and drinks. This saves time and is overall more convenient. I have been on many road trips where people need water or a bathroom break and yet the next exit is twenty minutes away. It was so convenient just being able to relax and play cards on the train. I was able to catch up on some sleep before and after the trip. This is such a stark contrast to the long driving trips I’m used to where it is always so draining and cramped.
The one downside was that the tickets were a bit pricey. I got a good deal on my Eurail pass which gives me unlimited access to the trains in 10 separate “travel days,” but it was still over 400 dollars. This seems not great, especially for anyone who would take these trains a lot, but compared to the prices of a car it is actually really reasonable. Paying for the gas, insurance, maintenance and the car itself adds up, and it isn’t nearly as efficient, safe, nor comfortable as riding on high speed trains.
To read more:
High Speed Rail Alliance. (2024, December 11). Reducing carbon emissions – why high speed rail. https://www.hsrail.org/blog/how-will-hsr-reduce-carbon/
Ice high-speed trains. Eurail. (n.d.). https://www.eurail.com/en/plan-your-trip/trip-ideas/trains-europe/high-speed-trains/ice
Drew A.
