Trains

Trains move people and goods more efficiently than cars, buses and trucks and airplanes.  By some estimates, they are twice as energy efficient as automobiles and four times more efficient than airplanes.  

Train-oriented transportation builds a better society in many ways, some not so obvious.  For instance, rail transit encourages people to walk through their neighborhoods, which gives the benefits of:

• Physical exercise
• Knowing your neighbors
• Patronizing local businesses
• Less air pollution
• Safer streets

Economic growth related to train building and design: The design and production of the next generation of trains will provide high-quality careers and sustainable growth for those communities smart enough to seize the opportunity.  It will take community-wide vision and strong leadership to reject the personal automobile as the central organizing principle of society, even though it has so many negatives.  One way communities can get involved it to build the "Center for Design and Construction of 21st Century Rail."

Bike trains: Bike and trains should work together to ease transportation.  Existing trains, including metropolitan "light rail" systems, are not bike friendly.  Some train system operators bar cyclists during peak hours.  Special rail cars need to be designed for existing rails systems which allow people to hop on and off —with their bicycles—safely and easily during any regular passenger stop.  Specialized bike-trains, alone or in tandem with public bicycle and electro-scooter programs, and even fuel cell buses and vans, can make significant contributions to transportation potentially anywhere in the world. 

Magnetic levitation trains: "Maglevs" float on a cushion of electro-magnetism, guided and propelled by magnets.  Because there is no friction from wheels—only air resistance—maglevs burn less energy and make less pollution and noise than other forms of transit, including inefficient jet airplanes. 

• World's first public maglev opens in Shanghai, China.
• Oliver Keating offers a more detailed explanation of the benefits and drawbacks of magnetic levitation trains, as well as maglev links,  high-speed rail links and a comparison of the relative efficiency of trains vs. airplanes
• Japan's Railway Technology Research Institute:  Still developing and testing the world's fastest (550 km/hr) magnetic levitation trains.
• Baltimore-Washington D.C. maglev project.
• High-speed rail news from around the world.
• Germany's official Transrapid site. (Sorry, only in German)