Up to this point I have spoken of everything in this network but one thing — and that the most important of all: the human being himself.
One may lay the best rails, build the highest bridges and employ the most intelligent systems; but if the people who travel upon this network are strangers to one another, inconsiderate or disrespectful, then all that engineering splendour becomes, instead of a bond, a field of resentment and tension. The network, in the end, comes alive through the spirit of those who travel upon it.
And here we reach a greater truth. The Global Rail Network is not merely a system of transport; it is a model and a living example. What flows within it — the highest standards of technology and of wellbeing, the respectful dealings of people with one another, respect for the various cultures, and care for the environment — all these together make a pattern for the nations; a small example of that world which could be.
A passenger who enters this network does not merely go from one place to another; he enters a space in which he learns a better way of living and of being together, and carries it home with him like a gift.
But such a culture does not come about of itself. Just as every society needs manners and rules for its common life, so this global network needs a culture and a code of manners that will keep travel safe, respectful and pleasant for everyone.
This part is about just that: about the human being, and the art of travelling together.