David Cameron’s decision to take a commercial flight to Washington has brought giggles of surprise from US interviewers and much ribaldry from White House staff accustomed to travelling on Air Force One.
But that is nothing compared with the surprise expressed by his US hosts when they discover that he is making the trip from Washington to New York … on the train. In spite of the fact the cities are linked by an efficient Amtrak service, the idea of a world leader using it is seen by some as astonishing.
In fact it made perfect sense. Apart from the much more relaxed security around Washington’s Union Station, Cameron’s team and travelling journalists were able to work in comfort using the train’s wi-fi service. All very European.
George Parker is the FT’s political editor.
Jim Pickard
Kiran Stacey