The Romance Of Rail

A journey from Chicago to New Orleans on the City of New Orleans, a train service that is fighting for its life.

1 minute read

June 29, 2002, 6:00 AM PDT

By Abhijeet Chavan @http://twitter.com/legalaidtech


"Andrew Buncombe, on a sentimental journey from Chicago to New Orleans, finds out why rail travel, which has inspired so many, could disappear forever...this service is more than just a commute from one city to another. For many people in a country that built itself by the railroads, the City of New Orleans encapsulates the romance of the greatest train journeys. This is a journey that literally crosses America, reaching from frontier to frontier. It is much slower than a plane, it is very often late, but it is a proper journey in the sense that a two-hour hop squeezed into a cramped seat on a budget airline with bags of mini-pretzels and 'complimentary soft drinks' can never be."

Thanks to Jon Barker

Friday, June 28, 2002 in The Independent

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