The real reason American passenger trains are so bad

Vox ^ | June 12, 2015 | Matthew Yglesias

[QT3.14]

== There is the problem of having to rent a car at the other end in most cases...==

Same problem flying.

[riverdawg]

In DC, the Metro subway is well integrated with the train station and Reagan National, so local transportation is easy once you get to your destination. I used to take the Southern (later, the Amtrak) Crescent between Charlottesvile, VA and DC frequently, as it was very competitive (in terms of time, convenience, and out of pocket cost) with driving. As many others have pointed out, however, local transportation isn’t always conveniently connected in smaller cities served by rail. On the reverse trip from DC to Charlottesville, for example, unless you parked a car at the train station, you have to call a taxi or a rental car company. Public transit there is mostly unhelpful in getting to most destinations.

[MortMan]

Except flying is quite a bit faster, so the tradeoff is often worth it (as someone who flies quite a bit).

Taking a half day to get from the middle to one end of the country is quick. The fact that we do not have (nor can afford) the short-stop local train system that made the longer haul trains viable in Germany, with people packed into small communities and large cities, and few miles between each...