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Comment by jmclnx | Hacker News Reader

>At least that’s the theory – and why the new wave of night trains are being touted as one way to replace short or even medium-haul flights across Europe and the US.

I am sure in the US it is and will always be talk. Train service in the US is terrible compared to what is in the EU. It will never happen.

Maybe this will work in Boston where the subways run a 3 MPH (~5kph) due to ignored repairs over the past 30/40 years.

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> Train service in the US is terrible compared to what is in the EU.

And train service in the EU is terrible compared to Japan.

If EU/US trains ran like Japanese Shinkanzen then there would be exactly zero need for night trains.

You would board a clean train, that departed on-time, and whisked you along the countryside, reaching your destination hundreds of miles/kilometers away in 3–4 hours.

Before the pedants arrive, yes I am aware there are some night trains in Japan, but they constitute 0.0000001% of Japanese train services, and are mostly a fun-tourism thing.

There are also really early in the morning trains in Japan, so you can get to Nagoya or wherever before 9am.

> If EU/US trains ran like Japanese Shinkanzen then there would be exactly zero need for night trains.

Nah, if I need to be somewhere in the morning I prefer a sleeper train over a regular train. Can't sleep while seating, gives me utterly horrible back pain.

> Before the pedants arrive, yes I am aware there are some night trains in Japan, but they constitute 0.0000001% of Japanese train services, and are mostly a fun-tourism thing.

Sorry, it's actually 0.000001%.

- A. Pedant

3 mph, isn't that like a brisk walking speed for most adults?

Yes, it does in fact go slower than walking pace in some spots.

https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2023/02/21/green-line...

well I guess it is out of the weather at least. Plus you could transport groceries on it I guess?

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