As we reach the middle of January, the post-holiday rush usually begins to settle into a grind. We are back to measuring our lives in minutes, efficiencies, and "estimated times of arrival." We want to get from Point A to Point B as fast as humanly possible, often treating the space in between as a nuisance to be conquered.
But today, I want to talk about a radical choice: The Train.
In a world that celebrates the jet engine, choosing the rail is an act of defiance. It is a choice to see the world at eye level rather than from 30,000 feet.
The Romance of the "Middle Space"
When we fly, we "teleport." We enter a pressurized tube in one climate and exit in another, completely disconnected from the geography of the earth. But when you sit by a train window, you watch the transition. You see the urban sprawl soften into suburbs, the suburbs give way to farmland, and the farmland climb into the mountains.
You witness the "Middle Space"—the places where people actually live, work, and breathe. There is something deeply humane about this. It reminds us that the world is a continuous, connected tapestry, not a series of isolated destinations.
The Low-Carbon Luxury
The environmental math is staggering. Taking a train instead of a short-haul flight can reduce your carbon emissions by up to 90%. In 2026, with the expansion of high-speed rail networks and the resurgence of luxury night trains across Europe and Asia, "Slow Travel" is no longer just for the backpacker—it is the new gold standard of sophisticated travel.
On a train, you have space to think. You have a table to write on. You have a flickering cinema of landscapes passing by. You aren't "killing time"; you are living it.
Your Action Today
You don't have to book a cross-continental journey to be a slow traveler.
- The "One-Hour" Rule: For your next trip, if the destination is under 4 or 5 hours away, commit to the train. Use that time to read the book you’ve been ignoring or to simply stare out the window.
- The Commute Shift: If you usually drive, try the rail once this week. Observe the people, the architecture, and the rhythm of your city.
- Night Train Dreaming: Look up a sleeper train route. There is no greater magic than falling asleep in one city and waking up to the smell of coffee in another, knowing your journey cost the earth almost nothing.
Sustainability isn't just about saving resources; it’s about saving our own sense of presence. Let’s take the slow way home.
