The coming back of the train?

^{Québec Railway, Light & Power Company, train station next to the current Quebec City Postal terminal on St.Paul Street, bassin Louise, Québec.
Photo: Omer S.A. Lavallée [c. 1958]}

For at least the last thirty years, talks have been going on concerning new railroads for high-speed trains to link major city centres. Nothing has been done so far and at this pace nothing will be done before I die.

^{An unusual winter view at Nantes, December 24, 1996
Photo: Jean-Claude Lehoux ©FACS-UNECTO}
At a time when the price of oil is steadfastly climbing to the point of eventually becoming unbearable, wouldn't that be a good idea to revisit the train and see things differently, for in the last 50 years, we have been quite good at getting rid of the most efficient means of transportation in terms of energy.

^{A tramway car from Rouen to Sotteville-Hôtel-de-Ville, June 1997
Photo: FD © FACS-UNECTO}
In fact, as time goes by, it is almost impossible to even think of a high-speed train linking Quebec to Montreal and beyond, because of the aging population with the rising costs of health care among other prioritized spendings. We don't have the means of our lethargic ambitions.
When I was young, there used to be a motorised train car, a single motorised car, doing the shuttle between La Malbaie (Murray Bay) and Quebec City.

^{Detail of a map of the Quebec railways network.
Source: ministère des Transports, Québec}
I am thus wondering if such a single motorised car could not be a solution to cost/energy efficiency with electrified lines? Instead of spending billions of dollars for a single train line with heavy equipement, hyper precise rail line for the 300 km/h speed, we should invest in a tramway like train that could do frequent runs between big and middle size cities, in-between Montreal and Québec, Montreal and Gatineau/Ottawa, Montreal/Sherbrooke, Montreal/Trois-Rivières, etc.
^{Heidelberg, Allemagne
Photo: R. Dissinger}
This type of train cars is already spread all over Europe and seem to well serve for moving people around. In Europe a liter of gas being so much more expensive than in North America, the choice of train, tramways and the like is clear.
Will it take a two, three, fourfold price of gas to start thinking in those terms as well? On top of having this kind of intercities train cars, shuttle services should be available from train stations to final destinations. I don't see families taking a 100 $ taxi ride for the distance from a train station to a village 60 km or so away. This has always been a handicap and a good transportation system should also have this shuttle service available at arrival.
^{Nottingham Express Transit, Nottingham, England
Photo: John R. Prentice 2006}
In order to achieve such a plan, it is obvious that it would take more than one politician to put that in place. It would take a change in mindset concerning the sacrosanct car, the willingness to live differently. If one trusts the latest stats it is unlikely such a scheme will be in the making before the liter of gas hit 10 $. It will take a tearful society on its knees to start thinking of alternatives.

^{Photo: Mjtabor}