Express

On rails, an express train is associated with the long haul, and would have the fastest, largest, most powerful locomotive. It would be contrasted with the slower “local” train. But in the air, “express” means “small” and “local” - for instance, US Airways Express is the regional-only division of US Airways. Occasionally the word crops up in other contexts, like restaurants and retail, where it means “fast” - maybe - but mostly “small” and “limited”. I think this might derive from a great misattribution of credit for express trains: that they’re just a limited version of the regular train that is somehow incapable of delivering passengers to a certain set of stations. What’s your take?