Planes and trains have been the foundation of transportation for decades. This dates back to 1804 when the first locomotive was invented. Then, the plane was invented in 1903. Their first successes were almost 100 years apart. But while valuing each respective choice, which is the best form of travel? There are many similarities but also just as many differences. While planes offer a quick route for long-distance travel, trains have far more amenities.
This, plus the environmental and cost impacts, make trains the better choice. The national railroad corporation, Amtrak, reported that there was a “total ridership of over 28 million in 2023, a 24% increase from the year prior.” In comparison, CBS shares that airlines have had more “consumer complaints in 2022.” CBS expands by saying that the number of complaints has “hit 78,000, an increase from roughly 50,000 in 2021 and five times more than the number of complaints filed in 2019.” Airplanes have decreased their quality of travel while trains continue to develop their own, making the choice obvious.
If you consider yourself a steward of the planet, riding a train would certainly ease your mind. Trains are far more environmentally friendly — and more cost-effective. Eurostar, an international railroad company, says that taking a train instead of a plane would reduce carbon emissions by 90%. Trains are also a more cost-effective mode of transportation as they can carry a larger number of passengers. Some people may assume that more passengers on a train would lead to a crowded environment, but that is not the case. Trains offer a much larger space for passengers to move around and stretch their legs as needed; they also have more leg room built into the seats, whereas planes only have a narrow aisle and limited seat space due to the reclining seats and overall design.
During his retirement, train enthusiast Peter Ford works at Whistle Stop Trains, a model train store here in Portland. However, he has been a train lover his whole life. Ford notes some of the reasons why he would choose trains over planes, commenting on how he “thinks that flying is pretty safe, really. But the [main] reason [he] takes the train is because it’s close to the ground in terms of not creating as much of an impact on the environment.” Ford has ridden a fair share of trains in his life, adding how “time is not as important to me: [I can] afford to take a leisurely mode of travel.” He explains that trains offer a much more relaxing experience.
It’s no secret that planes have become the main choice for international travel. As our world becomes more interconnected, the importance of international travel continues to grow. Planes have a massive advantage over trains as they can quickly travel overseas. High school junior and future pilot Montira Haich says that planes “are by far the fastest way to travel and avoid many natural issues you could face traveling in land or sea, making it also one of the safest ways to travel.”
Planes are able to travel distances much faster than an average train. The longest flight has a 9,585 mile route from New York City to Singapore, with an average flight time of 18.5 hours. However, the longest train trip is only 5,772 miles long, but it takes seven days. The Trans-Siberian Railway connects almost both sides of Russia. For comparison, a flight from the two ends of the Trans-Siberian Railway — Moscow and Vladivostok, Russia — is about 8.5 hours. This makes it a reasonable choice to take planes for long distances, especially in a time crunch.
Ford’s main factor in preferring trains is the sense of community they offer. This is a value for him, since he believes we are moving towards an individualistic society. He says, “Sadly, it looks to me as if as a society, we choose individualism over communitarianism. So I think we need to move in a unitarian direction in terms of our travel choices and other choices as well.”
Along with the environmental aspects of riding trains, it allows for more connection to the world around us. Seeing the landscape change as mountains, rivers, and painted prairies are covered in the setting sun; we have a beautiful world around us and often, when using planes for the main form of long-distance travel, we become disconnected from our physical world. Consider the wise words of philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson: “It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey.”
