[BamaDave]

My only experience with Amtrack in the South was a trip from Birmingham to New Orleans a few years ago, and I will never do that again. While it was very comfortable, and I enjoyed being able to go back to the dining car for dinner, the trip was painfully slow. I could easily have driven and saved myself at least a couple of hours. If there was an express train, I might consider it because it was a comfortable way to travel.

[AnsleyPark]

Originally Posted by BamaDave

My only experience with Amtrack in the South was a trip from Birmingham to New Orleans a few years ago, and I will never do that again. While it was very comfortable, and I enjoyed being able to go back to the dining car for dinner, the trip was painfully slow. I could easily have driven and saved myself at least a couple of hours. If there was an express train, I might consider it because it was a comfortable way to travel.

Yep. We took Amtrak from Atlanta to New Orleans a handful of years ago. We knew we could get to New Orleans faster by air and by driving. But, we took Amtrak for the adventure of it all. We did enjoy the novelty of the train ride, but would not use it again as a car / airplane substitute.

[johnsonkk]

Originally Posted by AnsleyPark

Yep. We took Amtrak from Atlanta to New Orleans a handful of years ago. We knew we could get to New Orleans faster by air and by driving. But, we took Amtrak for the adventure of it all. We did enjoy the novelty of the train ride, but would not use it again as a car / airplane substitute.

Count me as a third person saying never again.

Took multiple trips from DC to Savanah, Ga and the train arrived hours late as Amtrak has to defer to freight trains. The back of the train was bumpy and loud and the food car left lots to be desired. The conductors were grouchy and discussed job aliments. They advertise internet, but come on. Stops every 20 miles which is fun at first but gets old quick. Travel was DOUBLE what it would have taken to drive. This is NOT the VRE that DC commuters enjoy.

IF I had to take another Amtrak, buy the nicest upgrade possible whether business or sleeper if available. M

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by AnsleyPark

Yep. We took Amtrak from Atlanta to New Orleans a handful of years ago. We knew we could get to New Orleans faster by air and by driving. But, we took Amtrak for the adventure of it all. We did enjoy the novelty of the train ride, but would not use it again as a car / airplane substitute.

Does anybody, except those in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, ride a train for any reason other than the experience?

[cjseliga]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

Does anybody, except those in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, ride a train for any reason other than the experience?

I'm sure you can find people that take Amtrak from coast to coast, who are afraid to fly, don't want to take the bus, are not in a hurry and don't mind spending a premium for that service; although admittedly, they are probably a very, very small minority!

[hdwell]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

Does anybody, except those in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, ride a train for any reason other than the experience?

Maybe, although I'm not seeing an advantage to train riding if you need a fast travel. When you have amtrak as a last priority to all the freight trains, it's hopeless.

I rode one of the last trains to New Orleans from Shreveport in 1969; I was 14. Good God, what a sucky way to travel. Long periods of train waiting, uncomfortable seats, overpriced items in the canteen.

Now I've actually got time for a train, but none come anywhere near me except Longview, Texas. I don't really have a place picked out to go, so I'll probably not ride until I can find somewhere I want to train travel to.

But trains are beginning to look more appealing as driving and flying seem to be getting more expensive to do these days.

[GSPNative]

Originally Posted by EscAlaMike

Nobody rides Amtrak.

False.


Amtrak has about 30,000,000 passengers per year.


Pre-Covid, it was about to break even on operations.

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

Does anybody, except those in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, ride a train for any reason other than the experience?

I'm not clear as what counts as "the experience". I take it because it's easier (and allows for more productive time en route) than driving or flying.

[MardiGras251]

Options are nice to have plus those guys you mention don’t stay in the mobile area. They have no dog in the fight my man.

[johnsonkk]

Originally Posted by GSPNative

False.


Amtrak has about 30,000,000 passengers per year.

Pre-Covid, it was about to break even on operations.

I'm not clear as what counts as "the experience". I take it because it's easier (and allows for more productive time en route) than driving or flying.

Amtrak was losing more every year leading up to COVID and now is hemorrhaging money like the post office.

In 2018, Amtrak only lost $820 Million and that grew to a loss of $880 Million in 2019. Where was COVID….

https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/p...nts-FY2019.pdf

In 2020, Amtrak lost 1.6 Billion.

https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/p...nts-FY2020.pdf

Blaming COVID was automatic. Most of Amtrak ridership is in the northeast U.S. Trains that carry passengers into and thru the Midwest and the west are slow and expensive. Amtrak adjusts its advertising to call their mode of travel as enjoyable and vacation like. That’s fine but if any government program loses $1 billion each year, it’s not even close to “breaking even”. It’s fun to travel by train, sometimes. But it’s not practical for most areas of the U.S. More train tracks have been turned into bike trails than new tracks being built.