RAILROAD.NET

^^I was referring to more of a hub-and-spoke distribution method. Run lots of daytime intercity frequencies along regional corridors (CHI-DET or PGH-PHL or STL-KCY, etc.) and passengers change as they need to. In addition to these shorter-distance trains which would require passenger connections for daytime trips, you also keep the traditional LDs around (make changes to the network as you see fit, but the basic framework remains the same) and run once- or twice-daily frequencies for sleeper-style service.

ExCon90 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 22, 2021 8:56 pm(The Swiss make it work consistently, but they're willing to spend the money it takes.)

Also helps when your whole country is about the size of New Hampshire.

Daytime Hub and spoke systems cannot be reliable on freight RRs. They tend to schedule work windows only during the daytime.

Ridgefielder wrote: ↑Tue Feb 23, 2021 10:53 am

ExCon90 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 22, 2021 8:56 pm(The Swiss make it work consistently, but they're willing to spend the money it takes.)

Also helps when your whole country is about the size of New Hampshire.

It's not the size but the density that counts. The Swiss network is a cat's cradle of criscrossing lines, all of which have tight connections scheduled with the others. In many parts of the country you can't go more than about 30 miles without crossing some other line with which there is a 4- or 5-minute connection. And the parts that don't have that density have rugged terrain instead.

Switzerland has 8,570,146 population of in an area of 15,940 square miles, that calculates for a population density of 537 per square mile.
Virginia has 8,590,563 population in an area of 42,774 square miles, that calculates for a population density of 200 per square mile.
Naryland has 6,045,680 population in an area of 12,405 square miles, that calculates for a population density of 487 per square mile. Much of Maryland area is water, it's land area is just 9,776 square miles, that calculates for a population density "on land" of 618 per square mile.

FYI, The next state larger has 24,230 square miles is West Virginia, with little water area, so Maryland is closest in size to Switzerland as far as area is concerned.
Just checking a list of population density of the states at Wiki, the only states with a greater population density than Switzerland are:
New Jersey with 1,210 per square mile
Rhode Island with 1,017 per square mile
Massachusetts with 858 per square mile
Connecticut with 742 per square mile

Most of the USA's smallest states by area. None of them have as large a rail system as Switzerland, but most of them do not have a tall mountain range in them either.