Trains look different in Chicago

  Sitting in Kansas City, Minneapolis, Seattle or just about any other city in America, the future of trains looks dim. They only go to two cities, one this way, one the other way. Leaving and arriving only once a day.

 Sitting in Chicago, sitting in the waiting room at Union Station in Chicago to be precise, the future of trains looks much brighter.

   Trains depart all the time. And they go everywhere. From Chicago you can go to New York, Washington DC, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Seattle, St. Louis, Kansas City, Denver, Ohio, Detroit, Milwaukee, and lots of other cities. Just in Illinois, you can go to about 30 different cities.

 Will your train depot look like Chicago in the future? The answer is Yes, just don’t ask me when.  Hopefully before all our smart kids move to Europe. (Photo: waiting room in Chicago Amtrak station looks just like a busy airport)

 

Comments

[Erik]

I don't understand this post. Why does the method of transportation matter? For generation Y isn't it still about reaching the destination in a timely manner? Even if maglev trains running at 300+ miles an hour become the norm in the US, why would that be any more or less appealing than getting on a plane? (Assuming the airlines start treating passengers better than cattle)

[JohnT]

You must not have visited the Amtrak station in Seattle. Trains leave for LA and Chicago every day. The Sound Transit to Tacoma is the first attempt at light rail.

[Wm Draves]

John T: Thanks for sharing the information about the Seattle station. I haven't been there, but my son's been there; he took the train from Seattle to Minneapolis.....