railways

I read this article today in the New York Times about how the ash cloud from Elk-asneezea-volcano had finally prompted European citizens as a whole (not just the beaurocrats) to think about rapid railway systems connecting the continent. And the idea is brilliant. I would love to see railways further integrated into the transportation systems in Europe, and frankly here in the US. There has been a lot of talk about it recently, but it seems like even the obvious projects (rapid rail connecting Portland, Maine to Boston to Providence to New Haven to NYC to DC to Philadelphia to Baltimore...and maybe even all the way down the coast! Seems like a no-brainer. Alas, it hasn't panned out, at least it hasn't yet. One day, maybe.