Apparently the current administration is very interested in a comprehensive high-speed rail network, so much so that officials have been spending time in Europe studying Spain's pioneering system and those of other countries. Perhaps they are also on their way to Asia, where the exemplar of high-speed rail (Japan's Shinkansen, photo) serves a massive population with astonishing efficiency. It seems logical since they have already stated their intention to expand Amtrak passenger service - if the plan is to replace a woefully outdated rail infrastructure, why not go all the way?
As anyone who has taken high-speed trains abroad will say, it's a fantastic way to travel. If you've ever been on a standard type train, you will find the speed dazzling and the ride so smooth that you almost forget that you are indeed on a train. When I first took the Italian Eurostar from Rome to Florence, I couldn't believe it - the usual transit time of 3 hours was cut in half. And it was spotlessly clean and smoke-free from the beginning. However, the biggest advantage to high-speed rail is that train stations are in the center of major cities, unlike airports, so even though it isn't technically as fast as flying, you save major time avoiding long taxi rides to the airport, long security & check-in lines, and long layovers. I haven't ridden the Amtrak Acela, our only venture to date, but I have heard firsthand that it is the equal of its foreign counterparts and frankly, I'm praying for the day that it expands to serve the entire U.S.A.
In the meantime, get a taste of what they enjoy across the pond with Rail Europe's latest special on the Thalys (Paris-Brussels-Amsterdam-Cologne), 50% off the regular fare. Since European travel is suffering as well, I expect to see many more Rail Europe deals come along in the near future.
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