Canada and the U.S. just can't make high-speed rail work

For short-haul trips there’s nothing better than a good train to get you from one city centre to the next. A few weeks ago I spent about 10 days getting to appointments across Germany and Switzerland exclusively on the train. I found myself looking forward to arriving at various stations a little early to stock up on magazines, buy a few snacks, replenish my toiletry kit and then stroll to the platform two or three minutes before the whistle sounded.

Every time I’m in northeastern North America, I always ponder how much more pleasant and more welcoming the whole experience would be if there were serious rail connections between the most important cities.