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I will be taking Amtrak from Tucson to Houston in a couple of weeks. As I've been planning my trip, I've been disturbed by the latest push to reduce/eliminate some service and on-board amenities. The airlines and Interstate highway system get the benefit of millions and millions in dedicated...

Back again after an even longer absence Hello again. I'm writing this in the summer of 2018. I left Houston in the fall of 2012 and returned to Phoenix, and I'm still in the greater Phoenix area to this day (in Mesa since 2016). I haven't been active here because I haven't had a chance to...

Hello folks: I posted a few times on this forum a couple of years back when I lived in Phoenix. I would take the Sunset Limited/Texas Eagle to visit my son outside Austin. In early 2010 I decided to relocate to Austin, and took that same train there (unfortunately, my last Amtrak ride to date)...

I would have to agree. Cost has traditionally been the biggest factor for me in LD travel, so I used to take Greyhound, Amtrak and the airlines pretty evenly. Nowadays, I am leery of flying, and largely because of the post 9/11 regulations. Greyhound is OK but if you think Amtrak coach for three...

I did think about El Paso as those are indeed long layovers, but on the outbound from Tucson the ELP stop is breakfast time which I did in the dining car last time, and they also have great WiFi access there so I want to get on my iBook and check my email. Maybe I will also have time for a...

The first time I did the trip (Fourth of July 2008), I got off and back on at Taylor. The second time (as written in this report) I got off in Austin but changed my itinerary at the last minute to leave from Taylor. My son and ex-wife live in Hutto. This time, I will be using the downtown...

Now for those of you who take photos, what are some tips I can use? I want to take many photos of the exterior of the train, so I wonder if it's worth getting off the train during the "smoke break" stops (I think there is one on the return to Arizona in Alpine, Texas).

I stand corrected! For those who don't know this is all-Superliner service What's this about no Sightseer Lounge on the TE/SL this summer????????? Aaaaakkkk!!!!! I'm gonna be stuck in my seat the whole trip! Only one CCC for the trip? Is this different on the Sunset Limited than the Texas Eagle...

The 421/422 way is how I get from Phoenix (by way of Tucson) to Austin. The first time I made the trip, the sole TE thru coach was overbooked, so I had to sit in the SL portion, deboard in SAS, wait all night in that tiny lounge trying not to watch Conan O'Brien, not be able to get a hotel room...

Here's an interesting link I found to an article on the Arizona Republic website about John Dillinger and his capture at the Hotel Congress (across the street from the Amtrak station in Tucson) and the new Johnny Depp movie in which he plays Dillinger...

Good question. The immediate area around the Tucson station is fairly safe, as downtown Tucson is pretty much a ghost town at night with the exception of the Congress Hotel, a hip, trendy bar/nightclub/historic hotel that draws a slightly affluent, "sophisticated" and "yuppie" crowd. About 2/3...

I think this will be my third trip on the TE in two years and it is fun. I live in Phoenix which got its station snatched out from under it about 10 years ago, otherwise I might at least go to Southern California more often. The rebuilt cars are sweet! I do hope I get a rebuilt car but I'm...

I was asking about true WiFi but I also noticed the last time I was on that trip, this past March, that cell phone service was nonexistent through much of Southwest Texas except near the stations.

Again I will be making the trip TUS-AUS on the Texas Eagle/Sunset Limited. This trip will take place in mid-August. I was able to get a good WiFi connection in El Paso when the train made its scheduled morning inbound stop. Anyone have any other good experiences? I am running an iBook, dual USB...

And while we're at it, can we build a bigger station in San Antonio??? At least twice the size? The Greyhound station there is probably bigger (never been to that one, however).

At first I thought Flagstaff would get no service when you said (under this scenario) the Southwest Chief would be scrapped, but the Super Chief/El Capitan combo is a far better option and would fit perfectly with my "Amtrak Arizona" proposal. Basically, sounds like a lot of the pre-Amtrak Santa...

See my post about a hypothetical Amtrak Arizona. If my state starts now, this might be reality in 10 years. http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?showtopic=27069

I am now confirmed to do this trip again mid-August, Tucson-Austin. I will try this time to take more photos of the rolling stock to post on the Flickr group.

Until we lose the "no new taxes" and "big government sucks" mindset in this country, having the same Amtrak in 10 years will actually be a major victory.

See my trip report on my last TE trip Tucson-Austin and back just this past March; on the outbound from Tucson during the layover in SAS, I got off the train, making sure to note the number of my car on my ticket folder, and walked to a Denny's restaurant just south of the Riverwalk and had a...