Are trains on track for a comeback in Mexico?
A rail boom is on Mexico’s horizon, with dozens of new projects underway. But environmental, social, and economic pressures could complicate plans. A handful of Mexican passenger train projects are poised to bring big changes to the lives of locals and travelers alike. Four are under way, with about a dozen more planned. The biggest—and most controversial—is President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s Tren Maya, which would connect the five southern states of the Yucatán Peninsula. [nationalgeographic.com]
China’s ’slow trains’ link villagers to outside world
Although China has entered a high-speed railway era, “slow trains” in several less-developed areas still provide villagers with a track to the outside world and prosperity. When train No 6064 stopped in Yangpingguan station, 51-year-old Xue Qing boarded with 30 kilograms of vegetables on her back. This is an ordinary journey for Xue and many villagers from Yangpingguan, a township in Hanzhong, Shaanxi province. They take the train to sell their vegetables in nearby counties to add to their families’ income. For villagers from townships along the railway route, the slow train service offered fresh opportunities to make a fortune. [chinadaily.com.cn]
Amtrak at 50: Defining the “basic system” of service routes
President Richard Nixon, against the wishes of his senior White House advisers, signed the Rail Passenger Service Act into law on October 30, 1970. The law provided for the establishment of a national passenger rail operating company, that would take over passenger operations from freight railroads starting on May 1, 1971. But even before the law was signed, there was significant back-and-forth between DOT and the White House Office of Management and Budget over the scope of the basic system map. [enotrans.org]
It’s official – this is Europe’s greatest train station
There are plenty of ways to measure the greatness of a railway station. The more destinations you can go, the better. Easy platform access and navigation: also essential. And, most important of all, you’ll want good dining options. Of course, many stations do not measure up at all. But some are truly splendid – and that’s where the annual European Railway Station Index comes in. Every year, this list ranks 50 or so major stations across Europe, and rail aficionados duly go wild over the results. So which station came out top in 2021? [timeout.com]
