Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Also, Amtrak should be privatized after doing some overhauling, but at least it would be more reliable. Also, bringing back some long dead routes (most were killed off in 1979) would alleviate congestion. My personal favorite train was the Floridian, Chicago-Miami, with Auto-Train service (no more need to rent a car!).
When you look at the long run, trains are just as fast as planes, as far as travel time goes. You have to arrive several hours in advance to an airport to get through baggage checks, security, etc. After you add that, it all comes out in the wash. With trains, security is a breeze (hardly anyone to check), plus the stations are generally small and convenient (unlike their hours ).
That is an unfair rap on Amtrak. Where Amtrak has its own tracks and therefore control over how it is run, they do very well with the schedules. It is the best way to get from DC to NYC.
It is unfair to blame the hours of delay the owners of the tracks force on the Amtrak trains while they dawdle around getting the freights moving. The freight railroads who are in charge of the dispatching and organization perform horribly - private industry at its worst. They routinely put the Amtrak on a siding waiting an hour or three for a slow moving freight when it could have been running along just fine with the freight never catching up to it. That is all private industry's doing.
Air travel is so horrible now, the train is looking better and better. You are right about the time spent traveling is about as much - at least when the trip is one day or less - and the seats are more comfortable and I can do the internet on a train. The more the planes are canceled on you at the last minute with nothing for a day or two later to get you out - the train looks even better.
I'd vote for any president who threw support behind Amtrak. Oh wait, one of them did.
"Support Amtrak Funding: Barack Obama has been a strong supporter of federal financial support for Amtrak. Obama believes we need to reform Amtrak to improve accountability. In many parts of the country, Amtrak is the only form of reliable transportation. In the US Senate, Obama is a cosponsor of the Passenger Rail Invesstment and Innovation Act of 2007, a leading act to provide long-term federal investment to Amtrak. As president, Barack Obama will continue to fight for Amtrak funding and reform so that individuals, families and businesses throughout the country have safe and reliable transportation options."
I wonder how long it is going to take the airline industry to incorporate the entire fuel cost into the fare. Then the prices will rise to an interesting level. Business passengers will still take the airlines to save time but vacationers will find a cheaper way to spend get where they want to go or, most likely, just stay home.
PS – I rode the Metroliner to Washington DC from NYC in the 70’s. I was watching the speedometer (they didn’t close the driver’s door in those days) as it topped 125 in New Jersey. We were passing cars and trucks on the Jersey Turnpike like they were parked!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
).
