From Simon Fodden
You map railways in your article on the remotest places on Earth, saying “they are confined mainly to the richer nations of Europe, the US, Australia and Japan” (18 April, p 40).
What puzzles me is that you omit Canada, yet include Australia. A list of railways accessing remote regions should make mention of Canada, where the railway plays an essential role – as it does in our smaller cousin, Australia.
While part of North America, Canada is not in the US. We’re too big – and too rich, for that matter – to be ignored.
From David Garnett
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In the 1800s, it took months for news of Australia to reach Europe. It now appears to be taking years.
In your review of our modern, hyperconnected world, you show the rail link from Adelaide to the north terminating at Alice Springs. The line runs across the continent from Adelaide to Darwin and has been carrying freight and passengers since 15 January 2004.
Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
The editor writes:
• The researchers at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre and the World Bank based their map on railway data from 1997. The construction of the Alice Springs to Darwin section of The Ghan railway started in 2001.
Toronto, Canada
