“Scenery: It’s A-plus. The windows are wide, offering us breathtaking views of the mountains. We saw mule deer, bald eagles and a moose on our journey.”
This is an amazing statement, last time I was on the Empire Builder, it went through the mountains at night and across North Dakota during the day. Nice planning there.
But yes, it was an otherwise nice 2 1/2 day ride to the west coast.
Beyond that, I don’t see anywhere in the article which suggests, as the headline misleads, that rail travel is “making a comeback”!
Considering what zoos the airports have become - searching Granny and junior, in order to avoid (gasp!) the appearance of Political Incorrectness it would proffer simply to search Moslems - eating a mouthful of tacks would be more pleasant than flying.
On the other hand, occasional train travel CAN be fun, and rather scenic, too.
Amtrak’s capital costs are 100% taxpayer subsidized and its operating costs get 50-60% from the taxpayers even on busy short routes (Chicago-Milwaukee, NE, etc.)
It’s a failed, outmoded and obsolete system with good views.
“The trip was faster and cheaper by car”
And there’s the rub.
Train travel is really nothing more than a novelty in the US anymore.
I love train travel. The time spent on the train has to be part of the trip. I have met the most fantastic people from the USA and around the world.
It is relaxing and comfortable.
As far as training in the USA, no desire.
In 1990, I took the Amtrak from Milwaukee (I live in Racine -just south of Milw) to Williston, ND, to visit friends along the ND-MT border. In early Feb.... and everything you said is pretty true. But since my trip was in winter, and the tracks do go along the highways a good bit, I clearly recall thinking, “God, I’m glad I’m not driving in this weather”. It was very windy and snowy. Now the cost was about equal to that of flying to Bismark, and asking my friends to drive a long way to pick me up. But, I had the time, both ways, and I thoroughly enjoyed the trip .... cuz the cost to me was about the same as a single passenger. Now if we were going as a family, we’d have difinitely driven out there, cuz then the cost of 5 tickets would have far exceeded the cost of driving.
Having said all that.... I did enjoy the train trip both ways.
It’s been my experience on overnight Amtrak trains that the coach car bathrooms, although roomier than an airplane, tend to take on an unpleasant aroma about 24 hours into the trip.
And one trip they overflowed and nothing was done but to shut the door closed.
Unfortunately railroad cars, track, bridges and tunnels are much easier to be come targets than aircraft equipment.
When the Islamic jihadists realize that railroads are far easier to attack they may just wise up and change tactics, thankfully and knock on wood they are in all reality too stupid to think about this.
I would gladly travel by rail, all my life I have had a strong passion for trains, in my early twemties one of my favorite pastimes was indeed rail hopping from Sacramento to Sparks Nv and traveling on a reefer car or boxcar over and through the Sierra Nevada Mnts. Also were the trips down the El Cajon pass in So. Ca, that was almost terrifying!
Where I live in Wasilla, AK we really need a commuter train to Anchorage, my local job is dying and I must commute in the future, my current truck is too much a gas guzzler.If Sarah Palin was still our governor and wasn’t hounded by the liberal press she was going to get the local commuter trains going.
Of course you will have to buy carbon offsets for the horse flatulence.
I don’t care what they say about Amtrak, I like it. We went from Los Angeles to Flagstaff and it was great! We had one of those mini sleepers.
Should say more bums want you the tax payer to subsidize their travel.
You know Willie, there is a cheaper and more effective way to stimulate passenger rail traffic: provide meaningful tax write offs for the train industry to provide it. I am pretty sure it would be cheaper to let a professional for profit train company to provide passenger rail service then to build a Government run organization. All it would require is tax write offs for running the losing business. I am sure these companies would be interested in cutting their tax bill. Just think of it like agricultural subsidies. The best part is private companies actually manage people and hold them responsible for their behavior. Do you think the metrosexuals would support private industry providing passenger rail service, or would they attack the plan as a give away to big business? Funny, leftist never get upset when a Government run entity steals their money, but watch out if its “Big Business”.
Speed and price are the two things I value in my choice of transportation.
In fact, when traveling to Manhattan from Boston on business, I would actually prefer the train if it was a no-hassle, truly non-stop trip as it would get me into Grand Central from downtown Boston in about three hours. However, as it stands today, it is a major hassle because not only do I have to park my car for $40 a day, but have to fight the city traffic getting to and from the parking garage. Then when you are actually on the train, it makes about a zillion stops along the way. I'd much rather drive my car to Milford, CT and take the metro-north commuter rail into the city.
I am hoping that transporter technology is soon developed (kind of like what they have in Star Trek) so that we can have our atoms dis-assembled and instantly re-assembled at another location. Because to be honest, commuting, whether it be by plane, train or automobile, is a major pain in the neck.