http://www.swissmetro.com/en/00_Home/index_E.htm
This is not science fiction or a pie in the sky idea, but something concrete that has been developed over the last 30 years. Basically it is a low-energy, high speed mass transport system, consisting of a maglev train running in a partial vacuum. It can transport 400 persons at 500 to 600 km/h. Because there is no physical contact between the train and anything else, there is no rolling friction. Because it runs in a partial vacuum, air friction is very much reduced. Once the initial inertia is overcome to get it up to speed, very little energy is required to keep it there. The energy of deceleration, as it approaches a station, is recovered. The total energy requirements per passenger are about half that of conventional rail and 1/8th that of a car.
Far-fetched? No, it has been thoroughly engineered by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, since Nieth's original conception in 1974 and small scale model trials have been conclusive.
http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/Swissinfo. ... id=3987243
The first full scale pilot study, as part of a project to link Lausanne and Geneva (~60 km) is ready and a concession has been applied for. The second phase will be to add to this "line" to take it to Berne and then Zurich, making a total of about 280 km with just four stations. Transit time from Geneva Cointrin airport to Zurich Kloten airport will ~40 minutes, faster than by plane, if you take loading/unloading and taxiing times into account, at a fraction of the cost.
Imagine NYC to Washington in half an hour at a fraction of the energy costs.