Regional trains in Germany carried 1.6 billion passengers in 2022, ten times more than the high-speed ICE trains, connecting small towns with reliable service. Our journey between Leipzig and Dresden reveals the impressive frequency of German regional rail, with 40 daily trains between cities comparable to Austin-San Antonio, which has just one Amtrak service per day.
• Leipzig, Germany's 8th largest city with 600,000 residents, boasts Europe's largest train station by structure size
• Dresden, with a similar city population but a larger metro area of 1.3 million, is well-connected with 38 daily trains from Leipzig
• Austin-San Antonio (75 miles apart) could benefit from similar regional rail, especially with growing communities between them
• Tampa-Orlando represents another promising American corridor, with Brightline potentially providing 10 daily trains
• New York-Philadelphia demonstrates regional rail success in America with 45 daily trains between major population centers
• Effective regional rail doesn't require high-speed infrastructure—just double-tracking, electrification, and frequent service
• The Deutschland ticket (€58/month) covers all regional trains and local transit nationwide, eliminating fare barriers
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