Skip to Content
Opinion

Let’s Talk Trains on This Friday Open Thread

As we do every Friday, we're turning Racket over to you, the readers

Wikimedia Commons

Choo choo, my friends. Choo. Choo.

Later this morning, I embark on the newly launched Borealis out of St. Paul. For fun? No, for journalism! Though I couldn't make the maiden voyage (do we still use that term, seems kinda sexist?) and all the attendant festivities earlier this week, I figure a leisurely Memorial Day weekend trip to Chicago, with stops at The Dells and Milwaukee along the way, will give me something to muse over. (When did I turn into the old guy who writes about libraries and trains?)

So, for today's open thread, let's talk about your train experiences. Mine are not particularly romantic—mostly taking New Jersey Transit into the bowels of Penn Station. I've always wanted to travel on the Empire Builder (that name!) to the west. Got train experiences from other countries? Opinions about high speed rail? All that is welcome here.

Or, of course, you can talk about whatever else you want. This is your Open Thread, after all.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Racket

Racket Racks Up 8 Trophies at the 2026 Local Journalism Awards

In today's Flyover news roundup? All we're rounding up is Racket's performance at Tuesday's Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists' Page One Awards ceremony.

Where Are All the Protest Songs? On Our Latest Best New Music Playlists.

5 great new local songs, 5 great new songs from everywhere else, and fuckin' Drake.

June 17, 2026

Two Decades in ‘The Dork Forest’: Jackie Kashian on Pioneering Comedy Podcasts, Working With BFF Maria Bamford, and Coming Home to Acme

'When [Kashian] gets her teeth in a premise, she will take it and chew it until there’s nothing left on that bone. She does not quit.'

Feds Can’t Leave Minnesota Alone

Plus Eyedea in AI form, MPD's blown budget, and more Bob Dylan in today's Flyover news roundup.

Summer Guide 2026: Hiking and Camping

Yurts, tent sites, RV hookups, and more in the Great Outdoors.

June 16, 2026

Yes, of Course We Tried the Kwik Trip Mountain Dew Donuts

'No, they won’t be around forever,' the Kwik Trip team warns.

June 16, 2026
See all posts