> Booking in advance, just as you would for a flight, can also save travelers a lot of money, Mr. Smith said, adding that he advises people to reserve their lon

> Booking in advance, just as you would for a flight, can also save travelers a lot of money, Mr. Smith said, adding that he advises people to reserve their long-distance train travel one to three months ahead to avoid last-minute price hikes. This is stupid. It's wasteful to fly an empty plain, but it should be cheaper to run an empty chain than mess with the schedule. There's no economic reason to shake down unplanned travel like this.