— This put up is a part of BikePortland Workers Author Taylor Griggs’ journey via Europe. See earlier dispatches right here.
Don’t get me fallacious, I’ve been very impressed with the bike infrastructure within the European cities I’ve visited up to now. However all through my travels during the last couple of weeks, I’ve realized that separated bike lanes and carfree streets — whereas pretty and fairly enviable — aren’t truly the factor of European transportation that might persuade me to attempt to completely to migrate overseas. The rail system, then again? That’s a distinct story.
I’ve expressed my enthusiasm for Amtrak on BikePortland earlier than, and I’ll do it once more: I’m charmed by American rail journey. I like its quirks and the sense of neighborhood it fosters, and I’ve seen a number of the most memorable, awe-inspiring pure surroundings of my life from the Amtrak commentary automotive. However after seeing what dignified prepare journey seems to be like, I’ve to say that a few of that affection has diminished…or a minimum of advanced a bit.
It’s not solely truthful to match intercity prepare journey in Europe and america as a result of the European international locations have a transparent geographical benefit: their cities are literally shut collectively. The whole continent of Europe, together with western Russia, is simply barely larger than the decrease 48 states within the U.S., and lots of the main capitals — London, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Vienna — are positioned pretty shut collectively, a minimum of by American requirements.
But it surely’s not nearly metropolis proximity. Even when we are able to’t choose up and transfer the foremost American cities nearer collectively, there’s nonetheless loads we are able to do. In Europe, trains truly come on time, are scheduled a number of occasions a day and are quick. Many European international locations have invested in high-speed rail. The trains cease in small cities, not simply large cities, making it potential for individuals dwelling within the countryside to journey with out a automotive. Taking the prepare is the quickest and most effective possibility for getting from one metropolis to a different a whole lot of the time, and international locations like France are making it necessary to go by rail as an alternative of flying in an effort to fight carbon emissions.
Earlier this week, I traveled from Copenhagen to Paris, which took about 13 hours on the prepare altogether (I made a cease in Hamburg to separate up the journey). These cities are about the identical distance aside as Portland and San Francisco, however a nonstop Amtrak journey to the Bay Space from Portland takes about 19 hours — for much longer than it might take to drive.
Think about if we had high-speed rail! Following within the footsteps of my colleague Lisa Caballero, I rode France’s TGV high-speed rail earlier this week and was equally struck by how far behind we’re within the U.S. It’s thrilling to see the advances in discussions for ultra-high pace rail within the Pacific Northwest and I’m additionally glad Amtrak is reducing fares for vacationers on the Cascades route. But it surely’s miserable to consider how lengthy it would take these tasks to return to fruition, in the event that they do in any respect.
After which there are the delays. U.S. passenger rail is dictated by the freight trade (which has a surprisingly massive grip on your complete American transportation sector, together with regionally). Amtrak and Union Pacific — the rail firm that hauls freight everywhere in the American west — need to share the rails, which implies that they’re always battling for entry to the tracks.
Though passenger rail is meant to have preferential right-of-way over freight, Amtrak trains are always held up by Union Pacific, typically for hours on finish. (A passenger prepare was simply caught in rural South Carolina with restricted meals provides for greater than 20 hours final week.) After seeing how individuals in Europe react when their prepare is a couple of minutes late (which has actually not been widespread — often they’re precisely on time), it’s appears all of the extra ridiculous to me that we put up with this sort of factor within the U.S.
In fact, this previous vacation season’s airline meltdown confirmed that every one modes of transportation are topic to failure at occasions. However the federal authorities has by no means paid as a lot consideration to passenger rail as they need to subsiding airways, and it’s extraordinarily apparent.
I really like touring, however I additionally really feel it’s my duty to restrict my private carbon emissions as a lot as potential. Our planet can’t maintain the quantity of air journey Individuals are doing, however with the system that now we have it’s additionally unrealistic to count on a lot else.
I’ll preserve using Amtrak for the views, the charming expertise and to keep away from flying. However primarily based on previous experiences, like one egregious state of affairs wherein I used to be caught on a prepare within the desert for 15+ hours, missed my connecting prepare and needed to shell out $200 for a last-minute one-way flight, I do know I can’t do it if I’ve anyplace I should be in a well timed method. So I’ll proceed to be one of some Individuals who takes the prepare. And though I’m nice going it alone now and again, I’d actually want others had been capable of be a part of me on this one.
Taylor has been BikePortland’s workers author since November 2021. She has additionally written for Road Roots and Eugene Weekly. Contact her at taylorgriggswriter@gmail.com
