91–100 of 267 posts
If you enjoy cycling I highly recommend riding Amtrak somewhere you'd like to explore by bicycle with your whip checked "trainside" where it's fully assembled and ready to ride. There's something magical about getting off the train in a different state with your bicycle ready to go no worse for wear. Especially at smaller stations, where the conductor or luggage handler will directly hand you the bicycle from the lug…
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Interesting! Your link suggests that legally passenger trains are supposed to have priority, but that in practice freight trains are given priority. I didn't know this, and it makes me even madder! But as far as an explanation for why Amtrak trains are so often delayed (which is how it appeared in OP?), it appears to be correct that it's because freight trains are given priority. It's just that... they're not suppose…
There is something called "Precision Scheduled Railroading" (PSR) which ultimately means that freight trains are longer than they used to be. ( https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-23-105420 ) The result is that these long trains (even 3 miles long) can't fit on sidings, which means that they can't practically give way to, say, Amtrak, when there's only a single track. (Which is a lot of routes!) In other words, freight…
Some additional enforcement might help, but in the end, with most of the network having large single-track sections, and the long trains of PSR, it's just not a network built for timeliness. About 50% of the train load in America is bulk commodities of one form or another (Coal, stone, grain, etc.) All of these commodities are generally stable and non-spoilable. Thus, the customers don't really care much about punctuality. A power plant can maintain some hours or days of inventory in a big pile next to the plant. If the train with the next load of coal is 8 hours late, it has little impact, you just dig a little deeper into the pile before it's refreshed. 8 hours is a big difference to passengers.
> I could have bought an economy ticket for $150, but sitting for so long was out of the question. If I treat this as a cruise, I want a good level of comfort. As someone who's done the Crescent (30 hours) and City of New Orleans + Lake Shore Limited (38 hours + layover) on Economy, you get about the same comfort sleeping, just none of the privacy. The seats in Economy are close to the ones in the bedrooms, you just…
> I mean... which one? ;) I'm from Houston. I'll take any public transport. ;)
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The real solution is to eliminate private ownership of track. Corporate-owned track makes as much sense as corporate-owned highways, ie none. The rails should belong to the people, and companies allowed to use them as the government allows, not the other way around.
Britain seems to have a better system than the US. In the US the rails are privately owned, but the train service is operated by the government. In Britain the rails are owned by the state but the operators are private. That seems to make for a better experience.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_rail_transport_in_G...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_rail_transport_in_G...
Earlier quoted context omitted.
The real solution is to eliminate private ownership of track. Corporate-owned track makes as much sense as corporate-owned highways, ie none. The rails should belong to the people, and companies allowed to use them as the government allows, not the other way around.
Britain seems to have a better system than the US. In the US the rails are privately owned, but the train service is operated by the government. In Britain the rails are owned by the state but the operators are private. That seems to make for a better experience.
I miss BR. Bit of a shame it was Jimmy Saville voicing "this is the age of the train"
Rail demands subsidy. Public utility functions often do.
Once you get into it, statements like the article's sound funny: "three days is definitely doable for onebag trip!" Hah, get your kit right and you can basically travel indefinitely, although you'll probably get bored of your limited outfits.
If others are into this scene I'd love to know what you're carrying. I've had a Tom binh synapse 25 for nearly 7 years now and the damn thing looks new as the day I got it despite being my daily carry and travel bag that entire time.
For those of you interested in Amtrak sleeper cars, reserve early, and expect to pay the highest fares on the in-demand, scenic routes. Amtrak's revenue management has gotten a lot better in the last few years, and they are in the midst of a rolling stock and staffing shortage. Sell-outs are common, and ideally, you want to reserve early enough to be in the base sleeper, which won't be cancelled if equipment is scarc…
Coach is also surprisingly cozy. Wide seats, plenty of leg room. 30-40 hours in a coach like Amtrak‘s is nothing to complain about.
If you're a train lover, put the Swiss Glacier Express on your bucket list! This was my first experience of rail outside the USA, and it was mind-blowing.