Good article on a journey from coast to coast in the US by train: Train in vain.

I enjoyed traveling by train in Europe and India, and really wish we had a decent passenger rail system here.  As I mentioned previously, I have to travel to NYC periodically.  If we had trains up to France’s standards it would only take 3 or 4 hours from Toronto.  I’d much prefer that to flying, considering the hassles at airports and the difference in fuel consumption.  Unfortunately the train ride to NY would take at least 13 hours.