Recent content by erierail

On time performance for Amtrak is driven by two factors. The first, is the level of freight traffic on the host railroad. Currently freight traffic, accross all segments are down nearly 10 percent. Between the bottom falling out of the coal business, tariffs impacting intermodal, agricultural...

The dining car or dinner lounge was the best part of the trip. Every railroad had specialities. Even at the end, you could get a good meal on the Penn central Broadway limited out if penn station or 61/62 out of Cleveland. Amtrak is just destroying the rail experience.

They also own thier in cruise ships. Never say never when it comes to Disney. These are the same people that charge 10 bucks to thier guest a night to park thier cars at thier hotels above the nightly room charges. If any one could make rail passenger service profitable it would be Disney. Not...

Why would you consider low level platforms? High level platforms make it easier for passengers to board especially with carry on luggage, having fewer steps are safer, results in lower accident cost. Reduces dwell tim at every station. Am I missing something here?

I don't know much about Seattle, but we walked over to China Town. Some great little places thier.

Indeed claims that LSA make 15.32 an hour. LSA supervisors, 32.00 an hour. Dont know how accurate this might be.

Arnt these guys all union. That number probably reflects amtrak contribution to thier pension and health care. Most fast food workers are not offered many benifits

Amtrak can operate at 110 mph between Albany ny and Schenectady ny, about 9 miles and Rensselaer and Castleton ny. ( roughly 20 miles )I am not sure of the speed limit to Poughkeepsie ny, however south of thier amtrak mixes with heavy metro north commuter traffic probably limiting them...

I believe railroads were originally chartered by individual states, and they regulated individual carriers within thier state lines. The icc regulated trains crossing state lines.

First of all the railroads never went in front of Congress to remove trains. Railroads went before the state agency that the individual railroad operated its train through to get a train discontinued. It was President Richard Nixon's administration that create the national railroad...

So that is not the new station, correct.? No platform.

Albany Ren hotel power refers to having hep power on the platforms to plug trains sets or set out cars for head end power. This would reduce the need to keep a road unit in the station to provide power. Very common practice in the early days except those were steam lines rather than a steam...

How is the wi Fi on the auto train?

Not having been on auto train in a few years I need my poor memory refreshed. Is their still a small snack area in both terminals? What is boarding? And finally is the lounge car open prior to departure still?