Like they said in the report - they didn't contrast the London/Eding. route - Manchester to London.
Depends which line you use, but you can commute Leeds to London in Two Hours (one way)
Take into account security, weather/fog, and now ticket prices - the train is looking better to travel on...
Infact, until the 'Plane Relief' campaign, I didn't know any airline flew between Manchester and London, because it just seemed too short a distance - I recall a college of mine saying his dad did, and that it saved him time - I then told him about the above, and he tried it. They go by train now.
ONE OF US! ONE OF US! (Sorry, just felt I had to.
)
The train is going to become a BIG competetor in the near future - there has been talk of intoducing 500km/h Mag-Lev trains (currently being developed at Emmsland, Germany - and currently in service between Shanghai airport and Shanghai) to the UK. Should be interesting...
Even further in the future - but not likely to happen at all - a transatlantic tunnel, using pressurised underwater floating tunnels - frictionless - and scientists/futurists estimate it would take 90 minutes to go from New York to London - at somewhere in the region of 3000mph.
That is if you want to travel in a tunnel suspended under the Atlantic...
Speaking of which - we're taking a trip to the apple ourselves - did you know it's cheaper to get a westbound QM2 cabin than to fly first class on Virgin?