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As jis noted, VIA runs more frequently, and there’s less likelihood of them just pulling the plug and cancelling for random reasons. I don’t think either is likely to add cars to another train in the event of a cancellation (though, I suppose, it depends on the reason for the cancellation)...

Communication and coordination are different things. Having different groups communicate with each other is an organizational/cultural thing. Forcing services to coordinate with each other often runs into problems of mathematics and resource utilization.

Just book the multi-city online with your actual preferred itinerary, unless there’s a specific need for you to go to an agent to book (and, in this case, there isn’t). The likelihood of a 15-hour delay on the northbound into Emeryville so low as to not really warrant a consideration in your...

As I noted earlier, how many people even know to look for that sign in the first place? Looking at the picture posted, I see four signs: One is a crossbuck that says railroad crossing. Most drivers have probably seen that and can read it at a reasonable distance. One says Stop On Red Signal...

Some Thruways are not dedicated Amtrak services, and Amtrak is simply selling a ticket on that carrier’s service. Therefore, Amtrak‘s fare rules and discounts wouldn’t apply.

There’s different levels of “good.” Compared to the rest of the US railroad network, the NEC is the gold standard. Compared to high-speed rail in the rest of the world, the NEC is pretty far behind.

Not that I’m necessarily a fan of the attitude “we tried it 50 years ago and it didn’t work, so we’ll never do it again,” but it should be noted that Boeing did get into the railcar manufacturing business in the 1970s and failed quite miserably. I’d rather have a company experienced in railcar...

One big issue is that very few people actually know about the little blue railroad crossing emergency phone number signs. They’re not something people have a reason to look for under normal situations, and thus can easily go unnoticed. Even if people happen to see it, it’s only for a quick...

Having had a couple of short rides on the Ventures, plus one trip to Milwaukee, here’s my take: there are two main problems. First is the narrowness of the seats to accommodate the wider aisle. Second, and more notably, the seat cushions are contoured in such a way that they stuck into my back...

The seven cars were six coaches plus an unstaffed cafe, which they opened to passengers for seating capacity on 330/332/337/339 due to passenger crowding (IIRC, Amtrak’s labor contract requires a third conductor if they open the seventh car, and Wisconsin only wanted to pay for the extra staff...

Under normal circumstances, changing the ticket in the app isn’t a big deal. Part of the issue might be, though, if the going rate of your new train is higher than your existing ticket, then you’d have to buy up to the higher fare. Last-minute changes also mean you can’t use any discounts that...

I guess that means unreserved is never coming back. Too bad. I enjoyed the convenience of not having to pre-select my return train on a day trip.

If there is a cabbage car, it can provide the WiFi connection.

This could make sense if service is vastly increased on both corridors (CHI-DET and DET-PNT), but with the current anemic service, the trains wouldn’t do anything but overnight in Detroit instead of Pontiac. Can’t you say that about practically any Amtrak service? Virtually every route is...

All major US carriers combined have had a total of one passenger fatality in the past 22 years.

I’m fairly certain that it is against all regulations, airline rules, etc., for a jumpseater to have consumed alcohol before getting on the plane. The same rules that apply for active crew apply to jumpseaters in this regard. It’s really a stretch to try and find some reason why jumpseating is...

How would that improve passenger safety? There’s no functional difference between the mental health of a fully rated, qualified and employed pilot in the jumpseat and that of the same pilot at the controls of a plane the previous or next day. This is the exact kind of knee-jerk reaction that...

I agree with you on this part. A one hour delay on a five-hour flight is 20% of the scheduled time, just as a 9-hour delay is on a 45-hour trip. However, one represents an annoyance that can often be worked around with a little bit of buffer, and the other means you can absolutely forget about...

That shouldn’t require cancelling the card. The bank would just issue a new account number. They should still have a link between the old and new number on the back end to reconcile any issues like this that may arise.

The new cars do have shades. What they don’t have are curtains.