Comment Re:Alternate solution (Score 1) 1139
I've read a certain British book recently: http://www.amazon.com/Global-Warming-Other-Bollocks-Science/dp/1844547183
They have numbers and figures to prove that British rail is FAR, FAR MORE subsidized and far less efficient than the road network. Their explanation seems quite plausible: most of the railway tracks is empty at any given moment, while road is constantly filled with the column of vehicles.
If we take this into account, coaches seem to be much more optimal way of medium-range passenger transportation.