Wired and Wireless

Two things I think would improve rail travel in the U.S.: Electric powered trains and Wireless internet.

Using overhead wires to power trains allows for trains to take the energy the create when breaking and put it back onto the power grid. When a diesel train breaks, it lets the energy dissipate as heat to the outside atmosphere. This is basically letting energy disappear into thin air. The biggest problem I forsee with installing this is the aesthetics. I know there are many people out there who would object to the look of overhead wires, but I counter that with, wouldn't you rather have no emission from trains in your city than diesel?

As for wireless internet, it is something rail has an advantage over car and plane. Of those three, rail is the only one that has the capacity to allow for wireless internet access to its travelers. I know, in the US, Amtrak and the Boston commuter rail lines are experimenting with wireless internet on its trains. Here is a video of the new wireless internet system in the Thalys train network in Belgium, France, Germany, and The Netherlands: