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The night train revolution has been hailed as an alternative to airplanes

cnn.com

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Re: The night train revolution has been hailed as an alternative to airplanes

#81

Post by FooBarBizBazz »

I wish the US had cheaper sleeper options more like second-class service in India. This makes much better use of space, but it requires different cars.

They're essentially coach during the day, but at night the bench-backs swing up to become beds (so, two side by side bench seats become two vertically stacked bunk beds). This does require some consensus on the train about when the "transformation" is supposed to happen (incompatible with hyper-individualism?). I also suspect that it is made more viable by India's extra-wide rail gauge (they can fit an extra, sideways bench on the other side of the aisle).

Eastern European trains are close to this, but they seem to have 2/3rds the capacity, because they don't have the sideways benches. Soviet rail gauges are again wider than the "standard" Western one, but perhaps not as wide as India's.

Let's see:

- "The 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) gauge is now commonly referred to as Indian gauge."

- "The standard Russian railway gauge of 1,524 mm"

- "The U.S. federal safety standards allow the standard gauge to vary from 4 ft 8 in (1,420 mm) to 4 ft 9 1⁄2 in (1,460 mm)"

So yeah, India has nearly an extra foot to work with.

Still though, I think Eastern European style cars ought to be possible in the US. It shouldn't be "sit upright in coach all night, or get your own private room", with nothing in-between.

Re: The night train revolution has been hailed as an alternative to airplanes

#82

Post by josephcsible »

croisillon wrote: post #54
josephcsible wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Air travel within Europe is cheap and easy, night trains are far more expensive, slow and run unreliable schedules sometimes, and they often don’t even take you to places you want to go. And of course their solution to this isn't to try to improve the trains. It's to ban flying between anywhere that trains exist! In case it isn't clear, this isn't a hypothetical: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36046764

* only between a couple cities * except for private jets * in fact except anything that would give this ban teeth, since Macron's cabinet members all end up working for shady companies afterward

> * except for private jets

That's not a defense. It makes it worse. The elites still get to pollute, but we don't. And it's especially bad since flying commercial is way better for the environment than flying private.

Re: The night train revolution has been hailed as an alternative to airplanes

#83

Post by foverzar »

"Revolution", lol. Maybe in the US.

They are super common in many countries including mine. It's a very neat way to travel somewhere for a weekend (leave Friday evening, return Monday morning), and it is typically fancier and more comfortable than a plane.

Re: The night train revolution has been hailed as an alternative to airplanes

#85

Post by Shish2k »

thinkingtoilet wrote: post #72
linuxftw wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

$1k/ticket you can easily fly 1st class for that amount, usually less. I can't imagine making this type of trade off.

$1k is on the high end, if you were traveling Dec. 23rd or something like that. The last time I did this the price was $680 per person, which again is more expensive than a flight, but for me was totally worth it and so much more enjoyable than a flight I don't know if I'll ever fly home again. However, to each their own. I fully understand this isn't for everyone.

> this the price was $680 per person

What in tarnation is up with American rail?? Picking random routes spanning the EU, I’m seeing things like a 15 hour sleeper journey costing €100 for a private sleeper cabin (or €16 for one bed in a shared 6-person cabin)

Re: The night train revolution has been hailed as an alternative to airplanes

#86

Post by KingOfCoders »

lm28469 wrote: post #53
KingOfCoders wrote: post #35

I went on one with a bed (6 people) some years ago from Berlin to Vienna and it was a nightmare (OEBB Nightjet). It stopped several times and there were constantly people getting in and out of bed, storing suitcases, getting dressed etc.

Yeah you have to get a personal/dual cabin ($$$) or travel with people you know otherwise it's a gamble. As for the stops you get used to it, I couldn't sleep during my first night train trip, after 5+ I know sleep like a baby. I haven't used planes in a few years too, and for my use case it's actually cheaper/more convenient than planes

I would have gotten a personal cabin, but were booked out for all dates I tried.

Re: The night train revolution has been hailed as an alternative to airplanes

#87

Post by lostmsu »

mp05 wrote: post #47

I've heard stories of people taking the Empire Builder from Whitefish, MT to Seattle which leaves at about 10:30pm and gets you to King Street at 11:30am. Pretty niche I realize, but it's an observed phenomenon and I would be interested in trying it when I move back to the Flathead someday.

I just did it last month. While it was great I regret we did not go further because it is really not enough daytime to peek out of the cabin.

Re: The night train revolution has been hailed as an alternative to airplanes

#88

Post by xnx »

lheck wrote: post #27
xnx wrote: post #7

[Autonomous] Night cars are much more likely to be an alternative to airplanes in the next 10 years.

only that they don't exist. and we thought they'd exist now, in 2013.

Very true. Given the enormous progress, I would definitely bet on night cars being more commonly used than night trains in the US in 10 years.

Re: The night train revolution has been hailed as an alternative to airplanes

#89

Post by jochem9 »

linuxftw wrote: post #63
thinkingtoilet wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel very similar to you. My family took an overnight Amtrak from Albany to Chicago. We got a full sleeper room which ranges from $500-$1000 per person per room, which is certainly more expensive than a flight, and I recognize it's a privilege that we can afford it. That being said, it was far more enjoyable than flying. It left Albany at 7pm and the kids (3 and 5) were beyond thrilled to be on a train. Laying back…

$1k/ticket you can easily fly 1st class for that amount, usually less. I can't imagine making this type of trade off.

One of the things that needs to change is that the pricing becomes more reasonable.

I believe that the US has terrible passenger rail, so it makes sense for things to be overly expensive, but in Europe this is a major problem too. One fair fix would be to start taxing flying more (e.g. fuel is untaxed right now) and actually give tax benefits to trains.

Re: The night train revolution has been hailed as an alternative to airplanes

#90

Post by IshKebab »

euroderf wrote: post #67

Before the advent of teh interwebz, railing in Europe had a train-based accommodations hack. When trying to visit a number of cities in not many more days, you could take an overnight into City X, arriving in the morning, and leave that same night on another overnight to your next city. This had the distinct advantage that you didn't have to waste most of a morning trying to find a room - not in a hostel, not anywher…

The other big disadvantages are that you never get to shower and you have to wake up at like 6am every day.
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