Updated Amtrak "Subway" Map

[snvboy]

Seems to have not been noticed on this board yet:

http://www.cambooth.net/2016-amtrak-subway-map/

Includes addition of the Ski Train.

Enjoy!

 

[fairviewroad]

Ve3ry cool map. I missed it the first time around, so these comments have probably been made already.

1. The map really shows the gap between North and South Stations in Boston when compared to Amtrak's own maps.

2. I wish that when a train doesn't serve a station along a given route, it would be represented with a solid color, not a white dash. I think that would

be more clear.

3. The map suggests that Amtrak offers a one-seat ride from Eugene to Vancouver BC, when in reality no single train serves the entire Cascades corridor route. I don't know how to get around that problem, graphically-speaking. But if the goal is to show necessary transfers, then the current iteration is misleading in that specific case.

4. There are examples of #3 along the NEC; for instance, it's impossible to travel from Westerly to Aberdeen on a single seat journey...the map suggests otherwise. There would be many other city pairs for which this is true. Again, it would be nearly impossible to render the map clearly if you wanted to show only single-seat journeys. Perhaps a footnote would be in order.

Comments #3 and #4 are minor quibbles. Overall, it's an excellent map.

 

[Chaosboy]

Thanks for those comments on my map. A couple of thoughts:

The white dash on non-stopping stations is aimed at guiding your eyes along those long columns of routes on stations along the Northeast Corridor. I've done versions both ways, and I definitely find it easier to read stopping patterns at each station with the line included. Of course, like all design, this is purely subjective and everyone has a different opinion.

As for points 3 and 4, I feel that this type of information is beyond the scope of a "subway map" like this. Most such maps (the current New York subway map excepted) just show entire routes or corridors equally and leave the details like stopping patterns and express services to timetables, signs and announcements. Certain Metropolitan Line trains on the London Underground run express until the outer reaches of the line, but you'd never know that from looking at the Tube Map! There's all sorts of other vagaries with Amtrak as well... trains that only stop to receive or discharge passengers at certain stations, that kind of stuff. This map just shows that it's possible to reach places by using these routes: it's not an absolute guide to every service pattern or variant upon a route. There's a limit to how much information a static map like this can convey without becoming overly cluttered. Be inspired by this map, realise that you can't ride from New York to Oakland without changing trains in Chicago, and consult a timetable for more information.

 

[Metra Electric Rider]

Be inspired by this map, realise that you can't ride from New York to Oakland without changing trains in Chicago, and consult a timetable for more information.

Oh, but it was just determined that one could do that!

I enjoyed the map and find it very useful to visualize services.

 

[SarahZ]

I'm crushing on this so hard. I LOVE the transfer points.

 

[fairviewroad]

Thanks for those comments on my map.

Thanks for your response. Please stick around and participate in our online community!

I get where you're coming from in terms of not showing every stopping pattern. The reason I mentioned that is because you were quoted in Wired as saying:

“It shows where it goes across America, but it doesn’t break it out into the individual services. So you look at their map, and you go, ‘Oh look, I can go from New York to San Francisco,’” he said. “You can’t. You have to get off and change trains in Chicago if you’re gonna do that. There’s two different trains that you would have to catch!”

[bolding mine]

As you probably know, given your location here In the Northwest, it's a bit of a sore point among fans of the Cascades that there is no single train that serves the entire route. In fact, up until a few years ago you couldn't even go from PDX to VAC on a single seat. Fortunately, that's no longer the case, but there's still a "you can't" factor for quite a number of city pairs...anything south of Portland to anything north of Seattle requires a connection.

But yes, I do recognize the limitations of trying to show all possible variables. Like I said, my quibbles are minor. It's good stuff, really.

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

The Cascades problem could be solved by separating it into Cascades North Vancouver-Portland and Cascades South Seattle-Eugene. Overall, I think the map is great!

 

[neroden]

Thanks for those comments on my map. A couple of thoughts:

The white dash on non-stopping stations is aimed at guiding your eyes along those long columns of routes on stations along the Northeast Corridor. I've done versions both ways, and I definitely find it easier to read stopping patterns at each station with the line included. Of course, like all design, this is purely subjective and everyone has a different opinion.

As for points 3 and 4, I feel that this type of information is beyond the scope of a "subway map" like this. Most such maps (the current New York subway map excepted) just show entire routes or corridors equally and leave the details like stopping patterns and express services to timetables, signs and announcements. Certain Metropolitan Line trains on the London Underground run express until the outer reaches of the line, but you'd never know that from looking at the Tube Map! There's all sorts of other vagaries with Amtrak as well... trains that only stop to receive or discharge passengers at certain stations, that kind of stuff. This map just shows that it's possible to reach places by using these routes: it's not an absolute guide to every service pattern or variant upon a route. There's a limit to how much information a static map like this can convey without becoming overly cluttered. Be inspired by this map, realise that you can't ride from New York to Oakland without changing trains in Chicago, and consult a timetable for more information.

Love the map. If you ake another version...

* I'd suggest including VIA Rail services. There aren't very many. You'd have to make Detroit-Pontiac more geographically accurate (it points northwest).

* Cascades really is two separate services and there's room on the map for another line there.

* Ideally, I'd suggest two types of informational marker on stations: one for stations which connect directly to a high-frequency *urban rail* system (subway, light rail, streetcar), and one for stations which connect directly to a lower-frequency *commuter rail* type system. It would be overkill to include the maps of the systems (I'm sure you've seen this: https://sites.google.com/site/northeastrailmap/) but the hint of "you can get further by changing trains" is remarkably useful.

Love the map, anyway.

 

[Woodcut60]

What a great map! I love it. You should contact Amtrak...

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

Thanks for those comments on my map. A couple of thoughts:

The white dash on non-stopping stations is aimed at guiding your eyes along those long columns of routes on stations along the Northeast Corridor. I've done versions both ways, and I definitely find it easier to read stopping patterns at each station with the line included. Of course, like all design, this is purely subjective and everyone has a different opinion.

As for points 3 and 4, I feel that this type of information is beyond the scope of a "subway map" like this. Most such maps (the current New York subway map excepted) just show entire routes or corridors equally and leave the details like stopping patterns and express services to timetables, signs and announcements. Certain Metropolitan Line trains on the London Underground run express until the outer reaches of the line, but you'd never know that from looking at the Tube Map! There's all sorts of other vagaries with Amtrak as well... trains that only stop to receive or discharge passengers at certain stations, that kind of stuff. This map just shows that it's possible to reach places by using these routes: it's not an absolute guide to every service pattern or variant upon a route. There's a limit to how much information a static map like this can convey without becoming overly cluttered. Be inspired by this map, realise that you can't ride from New York to Oakland without changing trains in Chicago, and consult a timetable for more information.

Love the map. If you ake another version...
* I'd suggest including VIA Rail services. There aren't very many. You'd have to make Detroit-Pontiac more geographically accurate (it points northwest).

* Cascades really is two separate services and there's room on the map for another line there.

* Ideally, I'd suggest two types of informational marker on stations: one for stations which connect directly to a high-frequency *urban rail* system (subway, light rail, streetcar), and one for stations which connect directly to a lower-frequency *commuter rail* type system. It would be overkill to include the maps of the systems (I'm sure you've seen this: https://sites.google.com/site/northeastrailmap/) but the hint of "you can get further by changing trains" is remarkably useful.

Love the map, anyway.

I am currently using Google Maps to make a geographically accurate map of all the urban/commuter rail systems. Once I complete that, I will begin work on Amtrak routes.