Generally train tracks bend because they have to, not because they want to.
One of the things holding high speed rail back is the turning circle needed at high speed not fitting in existing rights of way, which were as straight as they could get away with at the time of building. And the inability to now just purchase a right of way directly between the two points of interest because it's owned by lots of different people.
If you were building a traditional circular city and rail at the same time, the main trains would radiate out in lines as straight as the terrain allows and you'd probably spend a great deal of money building bridges and tunnels to make that possible if the terrain wasn't flat.
If you were building two cities from scratch, and owned all the land between them, you'd almost certainly build a direct train line as straight as possible between them.
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Generally train tracks bend because they have to, not because they want to.
One of the things holding high speed rail back is the turning circle needed at high speed not fitting in existing rights of way, which were as straight as they could get away with at the time of building. And the inability to now just purchase a right of way directly between the two points of interest because it's owned by lots of different people.
If you were building a traditional circular city and rail at the same time, the main trains would radiate out in lines as straight as the terrain allows and you'd probably spend a great deal of money building bridges and tunnels to make that possible if the terrain wasn't flat.
If you were building two cities from scratch, and owned all the land between them, you'd almost certainly build a direct train line as straight as possible between them.