National Train day 2014!!!

[amtrak2041864]

I didn't say nothing could happen in 2400 miles, in fact you hadn't exposed "the trip" is one of 2400 miles; yet the above long distance rationale for being late for arrival is a poor one. If I have to drive only 5 blocks, but leave 3 minutes late, I could never hope to recover from that loss, and would unavoidably arrive late. If however, I am making a 3 day journey, there is much more time available to make up for any lost time, especially where there is open country like on the Zephyr. It is short trips that are susceptible to lateness, not long ones, unless they're outright poorly scheduled.

Let's hope non-ownership of track is factored into the schedule, as well as the track condition, or else Amtrak would really be misleading its riders.

Very True, but if a person rides Amtrak and their train was late that should not prevent a person from taking more trips with Amtrak.

 

[deneban]

Very True, but if a person rides Amtrak and their train was late that should not prevent a person from taking more trips with Amtrak.

Very True, but it is the presence of multiple factors that would deter a person from taking more trips with Amtrak.

 

[amtrak2041864]

So does anyone have any plans for National Train Day?

 

[deneban]

So does anyone have any plans for National Train Day?

Yes but it does not involve Amtrak unfortunately (they no longer go there).

 

[Bluewater]

Have any enthusiasts traveled from Toronto to Albany on Amtrak? It kind of deflates the enthusiasm out of the enthusiast. In entails an disorganized 3-1/2 hour US boarder crossing, bathrooms smelling up entire coaches, bouncey and rickety trackwork not suitable for passenger cars and speeds. An eight hour trip can turn into a whole day, and you feel like *&(* when you get off the train.

Also the Vermonter, when it gets to Palmer, Massachusetts has to do a reverse switchback (usually entailing a 1/2 hour of deadtime becuase they also wait for CSX and the NECR to clear the diamond), just because, for all these millennium, they do not want to spend the money to install a west to north interchange track at the diamond.

I haven't been on Amtrak California, but the only halfway decent service in the east is the auto-train between Virginia and Florida, but now thats gone downhill because they converted all the observation cars into dining room style seating.

It costs over $100 to go between Boston to New York, about 275 miles.

IMHO, publicity will get some more one-time riders.

Well try Michigan Services, with the fastest speeds outside the Northeast at 110 MPH. 8 roundtrips daily, 3 Detroit-Chicago, 3 Chicago-Detroit, 1 Port Huron-Chicago, 1 Chicago-Port Huron.

Trains are almost always on time and run with very little delay. If you plan ahead and reserve early, you can get good prices too.

 

[deneban]

Well try Michigan Services, with the fastest speeds outside the Northeast at 110 MPH. 8 roundtrips daily, 3 Detroit-Chicago, 3 Chicago-Detroit, 1 Port Huron-Chicago, 1 Chicago-Port Huron.

Trains are almost always on time and run with very little delay. If you plan ahead and reserve early, you can get good prices too.

(Have any enthusiasts? OMG you quoted something form a month ago.) Yes we are all aware the Chicago-area does trains very well, and in all fairness I should have mentioned that in my post you quoted from 3/22. Maybe the Amtrak publicity in the OP will make a net ridership gain there.

 

[amtrak2041864]

I live in New York Area so Penn Station and Grand Central is calling my name.

 

[deneban]

I live in New York Area so Penn Station and Grand Central is calling my name.

No doubt you'll take the subway to get there. For me the NYCTA is a more fascinating railroad than Amtrak because of the intricacy of its trackage and train frequency. Everyday is train day in NYC.

 

[amtrak2041864]

No doubt you'll take the subway to get there. For me the NYCTA is a more fascinating railroad than Amtrak because of the intricacy of its trackage and train frequency. Everyday is train day in NYC.

I love the L train and A but it gets kind of rough (for the A) around Boardway Junction and Nostrand Ave.

 

[deneban]

(Post deleted and moved to dedicated thread)

 

[Kris94]

More likely is that they can't. Amtrak has one of the smallest budgets in the Federal Government & in generally every year it shrinks (as more gets put into defense...). Our Federal Government (namely the republican party) will not fund Amtrak to the point it needs; until that changes. Your not going to see the improvements you want.

Democrats had full control of Congress from 2007 until 2011 and have control of the Senate to this day. Might want to check the facts a bit. One party is not denying anything. Until passenger hauling becomes profitable nothing will happen. I would rather my tax dollars go towards helping existing railroads expand trackage across the country and allow them to take on passenger service again. *Billions are wasted on pipe dream high speed rail that could have gone to regional carriers with existing trackage being torn up for scrap. Look at Rails to Trails. Give regional shortlines the money and use existing abandoned trackage to set the seed. If you think I'm going to drive 30 miles to take a train the existing 40 miles you're crazy. Hop a local to get to the corridors I'm there.

I'm in the military and that's a inaccurate statement. Do you realize how much money has been removed from our budget? $78 billion in 2011 along with a total of 15K to 20K in reduction of Marines, 10 percent of their force, and 49,000 soldiers in the Army. Another $487 billion over the next decade are going to be removed. We got a 1.7% raise for the 2013 FY only to add 2% in deduction which means our pay was negative and lost .3% and then got a 1% raise which means on .7% higher than 2012.

 

[Kris94]

Improving the nations railroads hasn't been of the essence since the end of WWII. It's going to take a lot of money to upgrade our railroads and the gov't can't and won't do it. The railroads will definitely not as they're having quite a time just running freight trains. If Amtrak ran more frequently, then that would make a huge difference. It also helps that they run on time but that's more of the host railroad than anything. High speed will never happen. We need to make due with what we have. We have a lot of issues to handle and I think paying off our debts to China would be first on my list because if they recall it, then I don't think people will care about the railroads. Even with all the problems we have with Amtrak, I'd take it over the airplanes anytime if it weren't for money. Having to deal with with the sometime unruly flight attendants, ridiculous airline ticket prices, having to be told where to sit, ****ty food, no leg room, no cell phones, electronics only at certain times because they say it might interfere with communications on the ground, nasty TSA agents, crummy passengers and the whole nine yards. On trains you get what you pay for, showers, beds, real food, wifi that's free, can use your electronics and as long as you notify them within 24 hours prior to your train arriving you can actually bring guns on the train and ammo albeit unloaded from the weapon and stored separately. That's just my 2 cents.