Instead of losing ourselves in such reveries, Soberman argues that government should look at whether there are cheaper, more sensible ways to upgrade our passenger rail lines. With some minor changes to our existing lines, we may get faster trains that can pay their own fare. These trains may not be as fast as the French TGV, but neither will they railroad our public finances into the dirt. City of Hope Wendell Cox and Jean Love explain that cities are the last holdout against the modern ideas that are sweeping through Canadian transport policy. Privatization, desubsidization, and deregulation are not welcome words to municipal planners.
Trains are good for serving a dense city core where many people travel.
This pattern suggests that trains are out and busses are in. When the city core is no longer so dense or so popular, busses running along special routes are the best solution. In spite of these advantages, Canadian cities stubbornly push for rail. Jean Love is an independent consultant in St. Louis.