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That's an excuse and it's not true. I don't know if you've followed the history of Chinese eminent domain, but it turns out their society is extremely legalistic (always has been really). They have to buy out "holdouts" the same way we do in the US. Single houses will delay construction of...

No current protests in Portland. Yes, the attendant will configure your room as you desire. The "cafe car only" segment traditionally featured a box dinner which was WAY BETTER than "flexible dining" though I don't know what they're doing now

It's rarely the truly rural farm-and-ranch voters who want the trains: it's people who live in small cities of 100K+. Which are urban. And many of them vote for train service. Depending on the surrounding state politics, they may or may not be outnumbered by train-haters.

Yes. The Western Transcons often have long repetitive chatter about when the cafe car is opening and closing -- and they don't just announce it, they say it three times, and in a long-winded fashion. This could be handed with a short, clear announcement "The cafe will be closing at 1 PM and will...

You have to remember how *depopulated* the Mountain Time Zone and the western half of the Central Time Zone actually is. If you want to provide north-south routes, you're going to help a lot more people with a Chicago-Louisville-Nashville-Atlanta route, or closer to me...

I admit that I don't trust Gardner; it is possible that someone is deliberately trying to set Bedroom prices to prevent them from selling. On the other hand, on some routes, there are very few Bedrooms and people will pay nosebleed prices for them. The only way to get Bedrooms all the way...

Actually, I remember that the schedule was changed but only at FTW. So the timing from FTW to Chicago is shorter, but the timing from FTW to, say, Austin is longer to compensate. That could be tightened up. I assume UP is being uncooperative.

...and sometimes there is no first-class on a given air route, and sometimes there is no sleeper on a given rail route 🤷

They've been late over the Chicago-South Bend section less often. The criminal dispatching delays seem to outweigh everything else when it comes to the LD trains. But when Amtrak gets a good dispatcher, Chicago-South Bend seems to have fewer delays than it did pre-flyover.

I've rented cars at destinations many times, but *I really don't like to*.

You are correct. In the Gulf Coast, Amtrak is now asking the STB to order CSX to let it run its trains or prove that they would cause substantial disruption to the freight network (which they wouldn't). It's a big step, because although Amtrak has always been allowed to do this, they haven't...

Yep, that's how it works in the US where the rights aren't separated, and in most of NY they aren't. I own rights to the center of the earth for my house, for instance. The government can eminent-domain an easement for a tunnel. So the skyscraper owner can't charge *arbitrary* amounts. The...

As a frequent LSL traveller, I can say that pre-Covid, Boston rarely filled its one sleeper per train and NY almost always filled both its sleepers. So now that VIIs exist, the NY section needs either another sleeper or a bag-dorm. Given the nosebleed prices on the LSL and the high baggage loads...

High demand, low supply. I've said for years it needs a second frequency, running in the day through Ohio and at night from Syracuse to NYC.

During the reno, the city was asked more than once about having an Amtrak first-class lounge, and said they'd be happy to provide space if Amtrak requested it, but Amtrak didn't want to open one. So if you want one... pressure Amtrak. It's changed managements several times since then, so it...

Well, here's hoping it happens. I just want my steak, my eggs, my oatmeal...

Yes. Some people in fact got refunds.

Your attitude is why the Ocean is probably going to be reduced to 0 days a week, and why the population of the Maritimes is unlikely to ever grow much again. 🤷 And eventually your provincial government will wonder why it has to keep raising taxes to maintain its overbuilt roads. It'll take a...

Trains from Chicago to the West Coast generally have far too much repetitive chatter on the PA. The LSL, CL, CS, and "corridor" trains usually had less IMO. Not sure why. Maybe they figure the customers are less experienced on the transcons, or something.

Roaming Railfan finally did a video which explains what's going on in the *other* place where Brightline will pass under the 528 -- the one where they're moving the roadway. Still looks like this is one of the least-complete sections of the project, but the bridges on the existing FEC line...