If they want my business, Amtrak will have to make sure their trains arrive at their destinations on time. In 1980, after two back-to-back train trips that were 14 and 12 hours late, respectively, I swore I would never ride Amtrak again, and I never have.
>If they want my business, Amtrak will have to make sure their trains >arrive at their destinations on time. In 1980, after two back-to-back >train trips that were 14 and 12 hours late, respectively, I swore I would >never ride Amtrak again, and I never have.
About 10 years ago, I had an Amtrak train, the Coast Starlite, that was 22 hrs behind schedule.
I love taking Amtrak cross country in a sleeper. Of the 15 times I’ve done it I’ve never been more than 3 hours late from Chicago to LA, Seattle or San Francisco. Its a fantastic way to see America. I’ve taken the Cardinal (Tardinal) from Cincinnati to DC a few times and it is always late, one time 8 hours which permanently queered my then teenage daughter from ever riding the train again. I hope they keep the California Zephyr (Chicago to San Francisco) for at least two more years when my wife and I plan on taking our youngest pair of grandchildren in a family sleeper.
In January and November last year, I did the round trip from Cleveland to DC to Baltimore. As situations arose...AMTRAK coped with delays because of extreme cold far better than the airlines did. Getting sold out crowds on the trains and assigned seat was very well done. The trains were clean, efficient, had large numbers of passengers, had a nice viewing /snack car, comfortable, and people were very civilized. If there were more train routes times, ridership would be even higher. I don’t think shorter routes would be a problem, if connections were available.