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One of the proposals in the “Green New Deal” is to build high-speed train lines so flying is less necessary. This is not a radical proposal. In Japan, the Shinkansen covers distance approx LA-San Francisco in 2.5 hrs. At peak, trains every 10 minutes. The line was built in 1964.
The Shinkansen network has expanded, of course. It now has lines that cover something close to 3,000 km, and it moves around 160 million people a year. At up to 320 km/hr. No seatbelt light. No turbulence. Stations right in city centers. Just imagine what travel could be here.
The population density of Japan is similar to that of the Boston-Washington Corridor. In Europe, smaller pop densities and larger distances also work for high speed trains. There are obstacles to better networks here, but they’re not invincible and they’re well worth fighting.
