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Assuming the eastbound train is running close to on time, would you feel comfortable booking this connection to PHA (Amtrak's station code for the airport), or is it a gamble that would make you pray there's an Uber driver who can fill in the gap? FWIW, the flight wouldn't leave Phoenix until...

As I've spent more time in the realm of rail advocacy, I've found myself more interested in "low hanging fruit" improvements that would help Amtrak bolster ridership as opposed to grandiose plans of bringing back certain routes or building high speed rail. I think one area of improvement for...

I need help understanding the following scenario: Let's say I don't have any current trips planned or booked, and no expectation of booking anything for a while (maybe for several months, or a couple years, who knows). I decide to cancel my Amtrak credit card, which means I'm no longer going to...

The Sunset Limited stops in Ontario, just 7 miles east of where it stops in Pomona. After Ontario, the train doesn't stop anywhere until it reaches Palm Springs. For the route, this seems like a weird placement for a station given that people who live in Redlands (for example) have to drive 30...

It goes without saying we live in uncertain times, with constant discussion and debate over reopening and a "new normal" as we work through the COVID-19 crisis. That said, what does this mean for the rail advocacy work we've done, and how might that work change in the future? Here are some...

In this forum we talk about some ambitious ideas, like restoring service from Chicago - Florida. But on the other end of the spectrum, what are some examples of less daunting service expansions that you feel are within Amtrak's reach and would provide the most bang for Amtrak's buck (so to...

I'll be taking the Downeaster from Boston to Portland in a few weeks. Is there a good restaurant close to the station where I could grab a nice meal to bring on the train?

My father purchased a gift certificate for me as a Christmas gift. However, I never received a certificate in the mail, an e-mail from Amtrak, or anything in my AGR account (I also checked my junk folders). My dad e-mailed me the receipt from Amtrak, and it has my name and address, and...

If I'm a sleeping car passenger riding the Zephyr from Denver to Chicago, and the train leaves right on time, will I still be able to get dinner in the diner? If the answer to the above is "yes," about how late would the CZ have to be running before I would *not* be served dinner?

I know that Amtrak's state fact sheets contain boarding/alighting information for each station, and NARP's fact sheets contain the top ten city pairs per route. Beyond that information, is there anywhere I can find granular ridership data which shows the average (or median) number of passengers...

On this forum we talk a lot about restoring routes, new routes, schedule changes, and making tri-weekly trains into daily trains. These are all good discussions, but let's talk for a minute about Amtrak routes/services as they exist currently. Perhaps one of the best ways to achieve the bigger...

Like many other AU members, I'm glad to see that funds are being committed to rehabilitating the Southwest Chief route. The SWC was facing an existential threat, and enough people stepped up to the plate to keep the train on the Raton Pass route. This is remarkable, given the small population...

Conversations on commuter rail service to El Paso begin I definitely think Las Cruces is a good candidate for rail service (see my other thread here). In a perfect world, a daily Sunset Limited could take NMSU students to Los Angeles and Houston and the major cities in between. I'm not sure...

Recently my mother made a last minute trip from SLC to Reno, from which she'd be driving back to SLC with my sister. Plane tickets were very expensive, so she called me to see if Amtrak would work for her. It certainly *did* work for her, as the ticket was only $71 and the timing of the...

Does anyone know why this is? Will it also detour across Wyoming as it sometimes does?

Many rail fans bemoan the fact that the Sunset Limited bypasses Phoenix. But the Sunset Limited doesn’t just bypass the largest city in Arizona; it also bypasses Las Cruces, which is by far the largest city in southern New Mexico. Las Cruces is a perfect candidate for Amtrak service. An...

Currently, Denver's W Line terminates at the Jefferson County Government Center. What I want to know is, why doesn't it go all the way into downtown Golden? Between the Colorado School of Mines, the Coors Brewery, and plenty of other events/establishments to draw people in, it seems only logical...

I've been thinking about planning out an epic rail journey in which I would visit all of the lovely historic train stations in California. I know "lovely" and "historic" are in the eye of the beholder, but I basically want to visit any station that was built before 1950 and has a mission...

A month ago I rode on the SWC, with the train configuration being: engine - sleeper cars - dining car/sightseer lounge - coach cars. The group I was with discussed the fact that since we were more towards the front of the train in the sleeper cars, we weren't able to get good photos of the front...

I first posted this on the commuter rail forum, but since my idea involves the possibility of Amtrak and the state of Colorado partnering to provide a regional service, I thought I'd post it here as well. So here's what I'm thinking: I know a huge challenge to having north-south Front Range...