Trains (when they work) are a much more pleasurable experience than flying. I prefer trains whenever reasonable because airports are simply nasty and annoying.

Trains (when they work) are a much more pleasurable experience than flying. I prefer trains whenever reasonable because airports are simply nasty and annoying. I spend much more time at airports than I do flying. The security theatre is frustrating and volume and type of stuff one may transport is very limited. The economical argument is volume. Once you have a train line running, it is extremely cheap to transport large volumes of people and goods. Having a train connection would make a lot of travel possible that currently just does not happen due to prices or volume/weight limits. Also, a two day train trip is much less stressing physically than a one day flight. On a train, you can reasonably walk around, interact with people. On a flight, you are mostly bound to your seat except for bathroom breaks.