Trains Make a Comeback

It's common to assume that renewed interest in trains can be traced to more environmental concern. It's wrong to assume trains are always greener: a study published in New Scientist found taking the commuter train across Boston results in higher greenhouse gas emissions than traveling the same distance in a jumbo jet, due to the fossil fuels burned to create electricity to power the trains. But it can be said that trains often are more fuel efficient and sometimes greener than SUVs or jet aircraft. They can be pleasing, too. Many travel experts fear the rise of budget airlines in Europe will result in a generation of travelers who shuffle from big city to airport to big city without seeing anything else. Trains afford a leisurely pace and a window seat to discover all of your destination, not just the urban cores. About that leisurely pace: it's not so leisurely on routes such as Brussels-Paris, where TGV trains commonly hit speeds of 170 miles per hour or more.