Even Ukbekistan sees the adnatages of electrification. 160 kmh (100mph) is hardly high speed rail, but better than most of our system. If a line of similar length (511 km line, 3+ hrs on a Talgo train) were fixed up to those standards here, say Chicago to Cincy - 300 miles// 483 km, you could make the jorney in 3-4 hours instead of 10:23 on the Cardinal. But why rush?
You can fly in less than an hour and a half.
Or drive in about 4 1/2 hours, without the two hours of airport hassle - and you’ll have your own wheels when you get there.
How many private vehicles are owned by people in Uzbekistan? (Answer - less than 50 per 1,000 population, including busses and trucks.) I’d gladly ride a train if walking or riding a bus were the only alternatives. (People who can’t afford cars can’t afford air fare, either.) Given the availability of my personal wheels…
Chuck
Is there a pent up desire to travel between those cities that I missed along the way.