AMTRAK

What a way to run a railroad. Several times me and Momma used AMTRAK to travel from Nebraska to New York, and everytime the California Zypher that runs from San Fran to Chicago is late to Lincoln. Arrival time is 4:06AM and not once has it been ontime, today arrived 6:30AM, once was scheduled for 11:00AM plus, we drove and beat the time the train that was the connection arrived in Albany.

Fun fact is that both Union Pacific and Burlington Northern/Santa Fe want to resume passenger service between major metros and the Government has said NO repeatedly. Another fun fact is that AMTRAK runs on UP and BNSF rail and pays nothing for rail maintenence, demands UP and BNSF maintains the rail.

The UP Classic Challenger Passenger Steam No#3985 is NEVER late to any destination, as well as the No#844 Commemoritive Steam Passenger, and UP states that they can run a better passenger service than AMTRAK, immagine that, a real Railroad Company that can run a railroad better than the Government.

So far momma will be ontime for connection in Chicago and ontime to Utica, NY 12:30PM tomorrow, but again it is a government railroad. God I miss the DB in Germany you could set your watch by arrivals and departures.

Don't knock long ranged rail travel. Once underway on AMTRAK I enjoy sitting in the Observation/Club Car upperdeck watching the world pass by. Momma and I once took the California Zypher from Lincoln to San Fran as a vacation, and the views we great. Sometimes Americans need to slow down and enjoy simple pleasures.

I want so bad to get a slot on one of the UP's Steam Passengers, classic Pullman cars 40's styling and service, but a long waiting list.

One of our dreams is to buy and restore a Caboose, UP will if you restore a Caboose to classic UP Colors and number, pull the caboose anywhere/anytime for free. There a many RV Cabooses in the UP/BNSF system today.

My AMTRAK experience was getting stranded in North Dakota during a blizzard.

I often take the Amtrak from Boston to Trenton or the other way around.   For some reason it's always fifteen minutes to an hour late coming north, but is rarely late getting into Trenton going south.

Either way, you gotta buy your ticket at the right time.  You buy it early, the price is higher, you buy it when it starts to fill up and it gets pretty expensive.

Also, student discount FTW.

I would point out that Germany is much smaller than the US.  That's why rail travel isn't as extensive as in Europe or Japan.

It's going to cost literally hundreds of billions to create a national high-speed rail system in the US, and while I don't know that it's an economically sound decision, I think at least in the Northeast it would be a huge congestion reducer (and reduce the number of cars on the road, almost certainly reducing emissions and gas use).

OS has hinted at it, but I will just say it.  AMTRAK in inefficient with poor service because it has no competition and the government runs it.

I beg to differ, many people enjoy the no hassle slow and casual rail ride over driving or flying. As UP and BNSF want to get back into distance rail, for there is a growing market with today's travel costs.
The train me and momma took to San Fran was packed, we had a sleeper with meals included and it still came in under what driving or flying would have cost. Plus the no stress of someone else 'driving'. We spent the days in the club car and it was a blast, talking to folks, snacking, and just watching the world roll by.
Many Americans are 'slowing' down. AMTRAK is failing due to many reasons, but why does the government say NO to UP or BNSF passenger competition. I would be on a train almost every weekend for a 'trip' like we did in Europe if we knew AMTRAK could stay on schedule.

Whale, I'd say the highways killed it as did our car-culture, but rail is going to have to make a comeback as congestion gets worse. Investing in a few high-speed lines and a more efficient system could make it vialbe again, and it could possibly be necessary in the not-too distant future. Then again, I think airships should make a comeback as puddle-jumpers.

The Union Pacific website in it's archieves has information relating to it's attempt a few years back to re-invest in passenger service between major metros in the midwest. Omaha was going to be the 'hub' with service to Chicago, Dallas, Denver, St Paul, Memphis, Nashville and Atlanta. In hearings as the astricles will reference a Congessional Committe stated that this service would conflict with current freight service as well as AMTRAK so permission was denied under some regulation pertaining to interstate commerce, even to use thier own (UP)rails for a test program. UP is very successfull in its commemoritive service using Classic Steam power units, where trains are booked years in advance. I stood and watched as a 'Challenger' unit from 1943 charged past with classic Pullmans and Observation as a consist, it was a sight to behold.
[Several articles also appeared in model railroad and railroad enthusiast magazines on why the permission was denied. Atlas even came out with a limited run of the proposed power units and passenger as well as service cars.

I am attempting to find all the articles to link.

Yes in the 50's it was the individual car ownership as well as the interstate highway systems birth that killed long distance rail. The autobahns in Germany did not have the same effect which is curious.
Cheap airserve up until 73/74 also killed passenger service, but the rising costs demanded a rail alternative, but the infastructure as well as power units and passenger cars/service cars were long out of production/rehabilitation. The absorbtion of many rail lines into major componants such as UP and BNSF also had a great influance on freight/intermodel as well as projected passenger rail.

Edited by oldsoldier - 23 October 2010 at 8:41pm

Maglev anyone?