The information on this website is not a substitute for diagnosis and treatment by a qualified, licensed professional. Trains on a Roll Automobiles are the most popular means of transportation, but road congestion and pollution in many countries is now so bad that governments are being forced to restrict road traffic either by tolls, or by excluding use in certain areas or at certain times. In the U.S., half of all expressways slow to a crawl during rush hours, and more than 100 million Americans inhabit cities where vehicle emissions regularly exceed federal safely standards. In comparison to road or rail, air travel is fast, but getting to and from airports in many cities adds considerably to travel time.
Airplanes also create a great deal of pollution.
Trains are a more environmentally benign form of travel than either airplanes or cars, but are used less often because they are slower than planes and less convenient than cars. After years of decline, however, train travel is set to make a comeback with the advent of high-speed trains. Last year, a magnetically levitated train in Japan broke one speed record after another, reaching speeds close to 350 miles per hour. One expert predicts that speeds of 300 miles per hour will be commonplace on conventional railways in the next century. Twelve countries now have passenger trains operating at speeds of more than 125 miles per hour, and another 16 high-speed railways are under development around the world.