Natterings From Nepantla

So after looking at urban rail systems, how well are commuter rail systems connected to long-distance rail in the US and Canada? I couldn't find an enthusiast site with a good list for this one, but here are the systems that I did find that are ultimately connected to longer-distance rail systems:

• Altamont Corridor Express
• Caltrain
• Coaster
• CTrail
• Exo
• FrontRunner
• GO Transit rail
• Long Island Railroad
• MARC
• MBTA commuter rail
• Metra
• Metrolink
• Metro-North
• NJ Transit rail
• New Mexico Rail Runner Express
• Northstar
• RTD commuter rail
• SEPTA
• Sounder
• South Shore Line
• Sprinter
• SunRail
• TEXRail
• Trinity Railway Express
• Tri-Rail
• Virginia Railway Express
• West Coast Express
• Westside Express Service

In fact, I only found two systems that don't connect to long-distance rail: Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (which does connect to a ferry service though, which makes it still kind of cool to me) and WeGo Star.

Recently I came across the Discovery Canada series Mighty Trains, which is available on the Smithsonian Channel down here. This looks at train journeys around the world and some of the technical work needed to keep the trains operating.

I remember watching Great Railway Journeys of the World as a kid and being wowed and wanting to take some of those trips myself. Mighty Trains is... not quite that good. It's not the more technical focus that's the problem, because I'm plenty interested in that. It's more that it's a sister series to a show called Mighty Cruise Ships and tends to carry over the attitude that a train is a form of cruise ship, a luxury cocoon that separates you from the world except for the occasional planned excursion. Whereas Great Railway Journeys was a lot more about interacting with the culture and history of wherever the trip was taking place.

Also the host's delivery cannot hope to compete with any of the BBC presenters'. In fact I sometimes find it just this side of annoying. I'm going to keep watching, but probably won't be re-watching any of it.

Anyway, it has served to remind me that there are still a lot of places that I want to go when I have the time and the money and the vaccination. One rail-related idea floating around in my mind is to travel to cities in the US and Canada and then visit places all exclusively by rail (including subways, light rail, etc.). It would be a fun challenge. The SO says it should be a TV show and has volunteered to hold the camera. I dunno, but maybe if some part of the travel industry is holding a contest for crazy ideas to get people interested in travelling again once the pandemic is over...