Article: "5 reasons for taking the train."

[WICT106]

See link: http://www.bcentral.com/articles/elliott/113.asp

Post your thoughts below. How would you respond to the comments made by some of the folks quoted in the article?

 

[Viewliner]

It was an interesting article, I only wish it went more in to detail on the positive aspects of Amtrak, like meals on LD Trains, or how there are many crew members who do go above and beyond the call. The important thing is that its supportive, rather than anti-Amtrak. Its a somewhat realistic comparison.

 

[gswager]

Trains go beyond Amtrak. Don't get caught up in our beleaguered national rail network. There are more mass-transit choices out there. For example, the most efficient way to get around the San Francisco Bay area is on the BART train. Light-rail systems in Southern California, such as Long Beach Transit, can be far more efficient than the car, especially when the freeways are clogged with traffic.

Long Beach Transit is a bus, not train. It should be called Blue Line which connects from Red Line exchange point to Long Beach (few minutes walk from Queen Mary).

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Seems like he appreciates the short trips better than the long trip. And it seems like his problem with long trips centers around puncuality. Amen to that! That is one of Amtrak's biggest and most important issues.

He also speaks of trains as being friendly compared to other forms of travel. Indeed they are. But long haul much more so than short haul. A long haul trip, ON TIME, with plenty of neat people to talk to is the best way to truly appreciate train travel. We have got to be more on time!!

Yes, it is good that much is positive about the article.....glad to get all the positive we can.....but his appreciation of the long haul trip, say, looking at the Colorado Rockies (ON TIME), needs a little work.

 

[WICT106]

Concur, Mr Haithcoat. I've had friends and relatives ask me about long-distance train travel, and one of the downsides, that this author mentions, I tell them about is the tardiness and hit-or-miss punctuality of the long-distance trains. I make sure to mention that the Frieght RRs do all of their own dispatching, and also own the tracks outright, and this seems to be adequate explanation for some of the relatives. It also makes them ask if the freight RRs make Amtrak so late, how late their other trains are. Depending upon the railroad, this question can be funny.

 

[AlanB]

It also makes them ask if the freight RRs make Amtrak so late, how late their other trains are. Depending upon the railroad, this question can be funny.

I can't speak for all of them, but let me tell you that UP had millions of dollars worth of freight just sitting around last week. I was riding the Ann Rutledge between Kansas City & Chicago, and we were dodging freight trains like I've never seen.

We were delayed for three hours into St. Louis, but they had such of tangle of freight it was unbelievable. Even the cafe attendant that I was chatting with said that he had never seen it so bad in his 8 years of riding that line. Up must have had at least 15 trains stacked up on the mains leading into St. Louis for close to 25 - 30 miles all going nowhere, be it inbound or outbound.

In the space of that 30 miles, we changed tracks at least 5 times to skirt around stopped freights.

 

[gswager]

Must be shortage of UP engineers. Anybody to take the jobs? :lol:

 

[AlanB]

Must be shortage of UP engineers. Anybody to take the jobs? :lol:

Nah, more like a shortage of competent dispatchers. All the trains were crewed, they just weren't going anywhere due to congestion.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Wow! Alan, with all that, guess you were lucky to be no more than three hours late.