Question

Researchers Suchithra Rajendran and Maximilian Popfinger modeled varying levels of passenger redistribution from short-haul flights (flights of 50 to 210 minutes, from takeoff to landing) to high-speed rail trips, Planes travel faster than trains, but air travel typically requires 3 hours of lead time for security, baggage handling, and boarding that rail travel doesn't, so short-haul routes take similar amounts of time by air and by rail. However, the model suggests that as rail passenger volumes approach current capacity limits, long lead times emerge. Therefore, for rail to remain a viable alternative to short-haul flights,

Which choice most logically completes the text?

A. rail systems should offer fewer long-haul routes and airlines should offer more long-haul routes.
B. rall systems may need to schedule additional trains for these routes.
C. security, baggage handling, and boarding procedures used by airlines may need to be implemented for rail systems.
D. passengers who travel by rail for these routes will need to accept that lead times will be similar to those for air travel.

Answer 1

Rail systems can maintain their competitive edge over short-haul flights by adding additional trains to address rising passenger volumes without resorting to airline-like security measures, thus preserving their time efficiency advantage.

Step-by-step explanation:

For rail to remain a viable alternative to short-haul flights, it is crucial to address the issue of increasing passenger volumes and the resultant lead times. Given that rail systems are approaching their capacity limits and that one of the significant advantages of rail travel over air travel is the reduced lead time due to less intensive security, baggage, and boarding procedures, the most logical step is to expand rail service capacity. Therefore, the most sensible completion to the statement would be that rail systems may need to schedule additional trains for these routes to manage the rising passenger volumes without the need to implement airline-like security measures that could undermine the efficiency of rail travel.

Based on the given information about airline travel's rate-determining steps and the opportunity costs of additional waiting time at airports, it's clear that these factors contribute significantly to the overall time and cost of air travel. With short-haul flights and rail trips taking similar amounts of time when considering the lead time for air travel, the focus for rail systems should be on maintaining their advantage in terms of time efficiency and convenience. By adding more trains to accommodate the growing number of passengers on popular routes, rail systems can help ensure that lead times do not become as lengthy as those experienced with air travel.

Implementing this approach would also help avoid diminishing one of the main attractions of rail travel: the ability to bypass extensive security procedures and to have a more streamlined boarding process. It is crucial for the viability of high-speed rail as an alternative to air travel on short-haul routes to have an efficient response to increased demand while preserving its competitive edge over air travel in terms of time savings.