Sleeping cars under attack

[Anderson]

Sleeping cars are like the airplanes that the car companies flew to testify in DC. They are only for rich people. The vast majority of the common folk have no use or need for any of it.

Ride the Autotrain and see who uses the sleepers. At times you will see mostly seniors ("snowbirds") comuting to and from their Florida winter residence. For the $200 cost of a roomette, you can hardly call the sleepers only for the rich. The seniors that ride this train DO have need to sleep in a bed during the journey.

Secondly attacking Amtrak is just political posturing. With a service that uses less than two percent of the total transportation budget its rediculaous to believe that any real federal deficit reduction can be achieved by cutting Amtrak. It costs the governemnt far more than the entire Amtrak budget just to fund TSA the criminals, thugs and hoodlums who feel you up in the name of airport security.

I'd like to second this. Those in the sleepers may be a bit more upper middle class than those in coach, but based on my experience, I'd hardly call it a "reserve of the wealthy" even in the same way that one might arguably call first class on the Acela such. Moreover, particularly on the runs from the East Coast to Chicago, I can actually make the case that the train is more efficient, in dollar terms, than flying to O'Hare or Midway, catching a cab, and spending the night in a hotel...I did this math back in 2009 when going to a conference, and I know the only difference was the trip to the airport vs. to Union Station.

 

[ThayerATM]

Sleeping cars are like the airplanes that the car companies flew to testify in DC. They are only for rich people. The vast majority of the common folk have no use or need for any of it.

Ride the Autotrain and see who uses the sleepers. At times you will see mostly seniors ("snowbirds") comuting to and from their Florida winter residence. For the $200 cost of a roomette, you can hardly call the sleepers only for the rich. The seniors that ride this train DO have need to sleep in a bed during the journey.

Secondly attacking Amtrak is just political posturing. With a service that uses less than two percent of the total transportation budget its rediculaous to believe that any real federal deficit reduction can be achieved by cutting Amtrak. It costs the governemnt far more than the entire Amtrak budget just to fund TSA the criminals, thugs and hoodlums who feel you up in the name of airport security.

I'd like to second this. Those in the sleepers may be a bit more upper middle class than those in coach, but based on my experience, I'd hardly call it a "reserve of the wealthy" even in the same way that one might arguably call first class on the Acela such. Moreover, particularly on the runs from the East Coast to Chicago, I can actually make the case that the train is more efficient, in dollar terms, than flying to O'Hare or Midway, catching a cab, and spending the night in a hotel...I did this math back in 2009 when going to a conference, and I know the only difference was the trip to the airport vs. to Union Station.

You folks can call 'em what you want to call 'em, but we consider sleepers the only way to go on Amtrak. We'll continue to use the bedrooms. If we're helping Amtrak, Great!! If we're hindering Amatak --- Oh Well. Coach is out of the question. :excl:

 

[GG-1]

My God, I bet a rear ender would cause a little havoc!!!

Yesterday the California Agricultural inspection on I-15 caused about a 30 mile parking lot between Vegas and LA. Wed. as I drove, because there is no train, the traffic moved but was very full and I would say the spacing between cars was less than ideal. The LA - Vegas traffic at mid day Saturday was light.

Aloha

 

[JoanieBlon]

You folks can call 'em what you want to call 'em, but we consider sleepers the only way to go on Amtrak. We'll continue to use the bedrooms. If we're helping Amtrak, Great!! If we're hindering Amatak --- Oh Well. Coach is out of the question. :excl:

AMEN! We would only consider going coach or Buisness Class when the trip is less than 8 hours.

 

[leemell]

My God, I bet a rear ender would cause a little havoc!!!

Hence the sometimes 10-15 hour trip time. There are very few alternatives and none are very good.