Railpass Blog

Oh Boy, Obama!

2009-04-17T08:02:00.000-07:00

We at Railpass.com never thought we would see the day where high-speed rail would actually create a bit of a "stir" here in the United States media. But, thanks to President Obama's $8 billion high-speed rail initiative, the blogosphere was all in a tizzy about the latest way our President is spending taxpayer dollars.

A few of our favorite snippets from the online debate on the $8 billion project:

The Good: "So feel good about this, taxpayers. It's money well spent." Ryan Avent, The Road to Rail

The Bad: "High Speed Rail: A Genuinely Horrible Idea." Richard Nadler from a post of the same name

The Reality: "While improving America’s trains has never seemed to be a higher political priority than it is now, it’s going to take more than this down payment to get Americans on board with truly high-speed trains." Matthew Calcara, All Aboard for American High-Speed Rail?

So here's the thing, while Nadler may be correct in saying that genuine high-speed rail is expensive to develop and maintain, he fails to acknowledge that the same is true of our existing interstate highway system. With a price tag of $115 billion (and counting!), and costs of maintenance growing each year (thanks for those toll and gas tax hikes, by the way!), the current road infrastructure is just as - if not more - costly than the high-speed rail project proposed yesterday by the President.

And, while Nadler again makes a valid point that the significant difference between US and EU carbon emissions from freight transport is in jeopardy of shrinking (America is currently about 20% more efficient than Europe in this category) as a result of the high-speed rail initiative, he omits the improvement in the current carbon emissions due to passenger road traffic and passenger air traffic that will also materialize with the development of new rail lines within the country. Check out Bradford Plumer's blog for more on this topic....

Is it just me, or does Nadler's math remind you of Voodoo Economics? Something just doesn't add up....

Anyway, we NEED to start investing in rail here in the United States. We are light years behind the rest of the world in this department, and we have the carbon footprint to prove it. Although it is a big-ticket item, wouldn't you rather spend the money on something you (and your children, and you children's children.....) can actually utilize, something that will improve the environment, and something that will make travel easier? If you ask me, I'll take this over an AIG bailout any day!

It's Not Easy Being Green.....

2009-04-15T07:50:00.000-07:00

With Earth Day on the horizon (April 22), we at Railpass.com are wondering if people actually factor the environmental impact of their travels into their decision-making process when booking a trip.

We know that rail travel is, on average, between 3-10 times better on the environment than air or road travel in terms of carbon emissions. And, in a number of cases, rail is a much more affordable option than air travel.....not to mention a much less stressful way to see the world than the security-laden airport experience. Yet, here in the US, there have been a lot of nay-sayers regarding President Obama's recent pledge to invest upwards of $8 billion into improving our nation's rail infrastructure.

So, do people really care enough about the environment to make it one of the criteria for choosing a trip? Or, even if it is cheaper, greener, and more relaxed, is rail travel still at the bottom of the list for modes of transportation since it takes more time to get from point A to point B?

We want to hear what you have to say.....

Senior Deals on Rail Passes

2009-04-09T04:33:00.000-07:00

The senior sector continues to grow in the world of travel, and there are many websites and blogs dedicated to senior tours and trips. Not surprisingly then, the most common request that we have on Railpass.com is to provide a quick reference for what types of passes qualify for senior discounts.

So if you're over 59 and looking to explore the European countryside and cityscape by train, here's a summary of the rail passes that offer senior discounts. Bon voyage!

P.S. Are you a senior who has traveled Europe by train? Would you recommend it as a great way to experience all the landscape has to offer? We would love to hear your rail travel story!

2009-04-06T08:43:00.001-07:00

Press Release: Get Free Shipping and a $10 iTunes Gift Card on Orders over $399 at RailPass.com

Get a $10 iTunes® Gift Card on Orders over $399!

2009-04-02T11:22:00.000-07:00

For a limited time, Railpass.com is giving away $10 iTunes® gift cards with all orders over $399. Hurry, this offer is only good through April 15, 2009.

For more information or to take advantage of this offer, check out www.railpass.com.