Kyoto Can Teach the D.C. Metro a Lesson About Express Tracks

The world loves the New York City Subway's express track system. So when Washington, D.C., inaugurated the first segment of its Metrorail Silver Line this summer, the chorus of gripes was set to a familiar tune: Metro was foolish not to build express tracks.

The Silver Line will eventually allow travelers to take Metro directly to Washington Dulles International Airport—which is actually set rather far into neighboring Virginia, now more than an hour away by Metro, then bus. The idea of an express train that would reduce the pain of hauling out to Dulles is certainly appealing to D.C. residents. But it might be even more so to international travelers who have already enjoyed fast rides to the faraway airports that serve such metropolises as London, Hong Kong, and Tokyo.