Raleigh Union Station (Charlotte, Greensboro, Rocky Mount: home, transfer, maintenance)
Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, CaryThe Triangle Area
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.
I would be satisfied if they could just get the Amtrak to run on time.
For that to happen, Amtrak has to own the entire length of the line it is running on and not share/lease the track from Norfolk Southern, CSX, Union Pacific, BNSF, etc., and even then there are delays and things breaking down.
It'll be cool if the Southeast High Speed Rail would hurry up and connect to Raleigh.
Don't hold your breath. Someone would have to find over a billion dollars to build SEHSR and launch operations. It's not happening in the current climate. SEHSR Lite, a 79 mph rebuild instead of 110 mph that would still cut 30 minutes off the current Raleigh-Richmond running time, is more likely -- but even Lite would require one or two hundred million.
And it's not your fault, but the person who drew up this map perpetuates the PR blunder of "fast trains to Richmond". People think that SEHSR is about Raleigh-Richmond, and then they say SEHSR is stupid. SEHSR is really about NC-DC, NC-Baltimore, NC-Philly, and NC-NY. Richmond is merely the way to get to the Northeast Corridor.
Really like using Amtrak to DC or NYC and the current terminal is safe but very worse for wear.
Out of curiosity, why not just fly? It’s usually the same or cheaper and you could get there in like, 1.5 hours versus over 9 hours in the coach portion of Amtrak for NYC
I always wanted to use an excuse for Amtrak in NC but nothing ever made sense to me. Driving, busses, flying,
Renting a car, etc all seemed a better alternative
Out of curiosity, why not just fly? It’s usually the same or cheaper and you could get there in like, 1.5 hours versus over 9 hours in the coach portion of Amtrak for NYC
I always wanted to use an excuse for Amtrak in NC but nothing ever made sense to me. Driving, busses, flying,
Renting a car, etc all seemed a better alternative
I think you have to look past just the cost and time when you compare trains and planes. Personally for me taking a train is an added experience. I love trains and to me it's worth the added cost for the experience.
With that said and with what you alluded to, it also depends on "an excuse" to ride one to a destination. As much as I love trains, I do value my time to an extent. I took Amtrak from Raleigh to Jacksonville, FL a few years back and it's a night train. Left Raleigh in the evening and woke up around 7am a few minutes outside of Jacksonville.
It was totally worth it because I got to be social for a bit, read, and then passed out all night long in a seat that was far more spacious than a plane.
Out of curiosity, why not just fly? It’s usually the same or cheaper and you could get there in like, 1.5 hours versus over 9 hours in the coach portion of Amtrak for NYC
I always wanted to use an excuse for Amtrak in NC but nothing ever made sense to me. Driving, busses, flying,
Renting a car, etc all seemed a better alternative
Here are my reasons for taking a train to DC instead of plane:
1) comfort - even in "coach", Amtrack is soooo roomy. I can stretch my legs (I'm tall), walk around, grab a bite, use a bathroom that isn't the size of a phone booth, etc. Not to mention that nobody has to fondle my genitals in the name of security before I take my seat.
2) work - between the on-train wifi and my own smartphone tether, I can do a full day of work on the train during the ride. On a plane, I have no network while on the plane. So no need to take a vacation day on the Friday I go up there or the Monday I head back. Obviously my situation isn't shared by all/most.
3) experience - already mentioned earlier, but I never get tired looking out the window.
4) terminal location - In NYC and DC, the train stations are downtown. The airports - not so much. So once you arrive, you are there!
5) Yes, it is true that the train takes longer, but once you add the extra time you need to get to the airport before the flight and the extra time to get from the airport to your destination, it isn't quite as bad.
Here are my reasons for taking a train to DC instead of plane:
1) comfort - even in "coach", Amtrack is soooo roomy. I can stretch my legs (I'm tall), walk around, grab a bite, use a bathroom that isn't the size of a phone booth, etc. Not to mention that nobody has to fondle my genitals in the name of security before I take my seat.
2) work - between the on-train wifi and my own smartphone tether, I can do a full day of work on the train during the ride. On a plane, I have no network while on the plane. So no need to take a vacation day on the Friday I go up there or the Monday I head back. Obviously my situation isn't shared by all/most.
3) experience - already mentioned earlier, but I never get tired looking out the window.
4) terminal location - In NYC and DC, the train stations are downtown. The airports - not so much. So once you arrive, you are there!
5) Yes, it is true that the train takes longer, but once you add the extra time you need to get to the airport before the flight and the extra time to get from the airport to your destination, it isn't quite as bad.
Your post will have me taking a hard look at riding the train my next trip somewhere. +1
I haven't ridden it yet in North Carolina, but it was by far the best option for getting to New York when I was in DC. Like others have said, it is so much more comfortable and the stations are much more conveniently located than airports.
It is too bad the Charlotte station isn't in a better location but I plan to try the Raleigh to Charlotte train what Raleigh Union station finally opens.
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.