Kneading my bread dough I just had a thought. Do you remember all those pioneer films where hard working folks laid tracks across the Canadian vastness to move the transport of goods and people onto rails? They had a vision and it was not a bad one, until the cars and planes came along. Surely, across the flatness characteristic for the prairies trains could go at a speed much faster than the current speed limit for cars and the trains in Europe. Ontario and Quebec are still flat enough for trains too. Through the Rockies the train would obviously always be slower. The current situation is though that trains are used for freight and wealthy tourists. The train ride from Edmonton to Toronto would take more than 2 days each way, with 10 days vacation a year that's no good.
Generally, the challenge would be to fill the trains in a country with not too many people. But instead of subsidising the oil industry the government could surely subsidies high speed trains. In Alberta those 89% of drivers that are distracted while driving could leisurely sit on the train chatting, texting, putting on their make-up, reading the paper, eating, drinking - without being a danger to others. Considering how many people commute between Calgary and Edmonton, also for reason such as visiting their dentist or hair stylist!, at least this connection must be worthwhile.
To me trains are the most comfortable way of travelling. You can do so many things while being on a train and especially with kids it's much nicer than a car, air plane or a bus.
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