Tracking news and events in the railroad industry

With the advent of the car and then the plane, railroad travel has fallen out of fashion. Trains are now a quaint novelty more than anything else. However, many benefits still exist only for trains, and it can often be worth it to travel by train. Here are just a few reasons why:

• Arrival time - With a train, there's no danger you'll be caught in security until the end of your life. As long as you have your ticket and your baggage ready, all you really need is fifteen minutes or so to find your platform and you're set. No more hassles with taking off your shoes means no more hassles with arriving three hours before departure.
  
  
• Comfort - As soon as you board and find your seat, you enter a nice, comfortable world. Even without a sleeper car ticket, you're given a plushy, comfortable seat with a great view and plenty of room to recline - and if you get bored, you're free to wander around and find the lounge, the observation room, and more. Needless to say, the comfort of the sleeper car, with its own beds and such, is still greater.
  
  
• Safety - While derailments do occur, in the modern era technology is good enough that they're incredibly rare - and even many derailments end well. If a train stalls, derails, or otherwise fails, you're still on the ground and your train has a long stretch of track free to itself - no danger of other cars crashing into you when you stop, and no danger of crashing like with a plane.
  
  
• Views - Rather than just seeing a tiny oval-shaped patch of ground far beneath or whatever you can spot off the highway, on the train there are often utterly stunning views of the local landscape. Many trains, like California's Coast Starlight, have routes specifically designed to take passengers past the most gorgeous parts of the country. You can watch from your seat, or go to the observation car for even better views.
  
  
• Company - The freedom to move from car to car, the coziness of some of the cars, and the environment of the train seem to invite strangers to meet and mingle. Discuss the view with your neighbors, share past stories of travel, or just talk about yourselves. There's always something to talk about on the train.
  
  
• Food - While many trains offer simple snack shops for a light meal, trains with dining cars often have meals of shockingly good quality. With good food, great desserts, and often a great drink selection as well, you can eat in contentment as the scenery passes by outside. Some trains even will bring food to you while you relax, but the dining car is recommended - see above about the company!
  
  
• Relaxation - No need to drive. No need to worry about customs. No need to share all your seat space with your neighbor, or worry about leaning back too far. No loud noises. Just the gentle sway of the train, the scenery outside, and you. Riding the train can be a relaxing, almost meditative experience, and it's a great way to catch up on reading, get a nice long nap, or otherwise enjoy yourself.
  
  
• Price - Even the shortest of plane flights can be costly. The same price or less gets you all the comforts described above and gets you to the same place. For those who just want to ride the train for the sake of utility, there are options that are still cheaper.
  
  
• Family - Kids often end up bored, tired, and grouchy after a long ride forced into the seat of a plane or a car. With the train, they can move around freely, get snacks, ask you about the view, and generally express themselves. The trip might be longer, but it'll feel shorter for them.
  
  
• Style - Let's admit it - telling your friends that you arrived by train adds a certain amount of class to your trip. Describe for them the luxury you relaxed in, the views you witnessed, and the fine dining you experienced, and they'll think of you as worldly and a true traveler. And who hasn't wanted to experience one of the romantic train rides of old movies?