Why don't more "High Profile" people ride the train?

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I think the original idea behind this topic was that if more "glamourous" celebs rode the train, some of their glamour might rub off onto Amtrak? Sadly, while I love Amtrak, it would take a total Amtrak makeover for any glamour to stick! :D
The new hardware being deployed should help modernize the look of many trains. I would not call the new cars glamorous but an improvement nonetheless.
 
To put it mildly, I don't think Amtrak will ever run the equivalent of a Krasnaya Strela run by RZD in Russia. So that significant level of celeb usage will most likely not happen on Amtrak on overnight trains. On the corridors with developing high speed service however, there will be celeb usage like one has seen over time on the NEC.

It is hard to justify Amtrak spending a lot of money beyond reasonable Sleeper service with good food service while so many routes go abegging with no service at all. That is where the US differs from many big railroading countries, lack of broadly available service.
 
Amtrak did comp some rides for several writers a few years back. That's not my scene so I'm not sure if it helped improve their image or not. I do watch some YouTube vlogger videos and find them to be mostly positive. The few negatives tend to mention lack of effort and friendliness from the crew.
 
A number of years ago, I read a book entitled "Super", by the late Jim Lehrer (of the old "MacNeil/Lehrer" news report on PBS). Jim was a passenger train (and bus) fan, and his book centers around the 1950's Santa Fe Super Chief. I remember the book being fiction based on fact.

https://is.gd/jZDLmc
About the movie stars who rode the Super Chief:

https://is.gd/yeSzn0
 
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An opinion: Part of the low profile by high profile people taking the train is not getting badgered by fans, altho I would expect higher profile people to be in rooms or biz class.

If they don't know you're on the train, you don't have to fend off paparazzi at the station. Imagine some Big Name Hollywood type moving thru LA Union Station, trailing luggage and reporters.

Imagine any High Profile person trailing reporters and fans at any major Amtrak station. Or any station or platform. So, High Profile probably keeping a low profile.
/opinion
 
On the other hand, the knowledge that high profile people are riding the train would certainly help to encourage members of the general public to consider riding the train, too. (Anything that helps to reduce the number of cars on the road is having a positive impact on the environment.) As has been pointed out, celebrities and other high-profile people traveling on long distance trains will most likely book bedroom accommodations which would allow them to keep a lower profile than sitting in the first-class section of a commercial airliner.
 
To start with compared to the rest of the world, Amtrak overall is a SLOW service. For instance, the CL from Was to CHI takes about 18 hours to travel 780 miles when the train is on time. Average Speed 43.3 mph The LSL takes 20.2 hours NY to CHI. Average Speed 47.47 mph. I've driven by car to Chicago in 14 hours. Airline can get you there in 2:28 hours but it's a stressful trip. If Amtrak had high speed rail I would say that it would attract some V.I.P.'s because time is money.
One thing to mention is that back on May 26th 1934 the Burlington Zephyr using primitive early equipment did a Denver to Chicago route 775 miles in 14 hours. Today with far more modern equipment the Amtrak California Zephyr needs 18 hours to do that same trip. The progress just hasn't been there.
 
I once asked an older person about riding the train "back in the day." I noted that while riding Amtrak nowadays isn't always exactly a walk in the park, it was hard to imagine traveling overnite or cross country, especially in coach, decades ago knowing how spartan and non luxury the cars often were. She reminded me that such was, still, a more comfortable higher class of travel than the other practical option, driving long distance, which was no picnic in pre-interstate highway system days. I think this has a lot to do with why celebrities don't travel a lot on the train these days. It's, simply, a lower class of comfort - let alone prestige - than other available options in our own era.

The other thing I'd say about this topic is "Chicago." Though there were other options at the time, the most high class trains always came to - and never through - Chicago. As the capital of the midwest, and a major media hub, this was the key transfer point through which celebrities came. And, as others noted, it was a press publicity opportunity. They had a layover here. Be that hours or an overnight; maybe even a local show. Though the situation remains with rail, airline travel neither necessitates a layover or coming through Chicago at all. And, even if they do fly through O'Hare (where I've seen some famous people transferring flights) it isn't downtown, but on the fringe of the city, where a reporter won't typically be waiting for your flight to come in, nor get sent out from now nonexistent home offices (with everyone, even in journalism, mostly working from home) no more than ten minutes away. Though I have seen such things at times, usually when the press is concerned about something major to the city's life, such as who the new Bears coach or archbishop will be. A funny example of the latter (though downtown) was when Cardinal George was expected to arrive at a hotel reception preceding his installation at the cathedral. The cameras were ready as a limo rolled up. The door opened. And it was, ironically when expecting a Cathoic cleric, Sinbad who arrived and exited to say hi to the press!
 
I once asked an older person about riding the train "back in the day." I noted that while riding Amtrak nowadays isn't always exactly a walk in the park, it was hard to imagine traveling overnite or cross country, especially in coach, decades ago knowing how spartan and non luxury the cars often were. She reminded me that such was, still, a more comfortable higher class of travel than the other practical option, driving long distance, which was no picnic in pre-interstate highway system days. I think this has a lot to do with why celebrities don't travel a lot on the train these days. It's, simply, a lower class of comfort - let alone prestige - than other available options in our own era.

The other thing I'd say about this topic is "Chicago." Though there were other options at the time, the most high class trains always came to - and never through - Chicago. As the capital of the midwest, and a major media hub, this was the key transfer point through which celebrities came. And, as others noted, it was a press publicity opportunity. They had a layover here. Be that hours or an overnight; maybe even a local show. Though the situation remains with rail, airline travel neither necessitates a layover or coming through Chicago at all. And, even if they do fly through O'Hare (where I've seen some famous people transferring flights) it isn't downtown, but on the fringe of the city, where a reporter won't typically be waiting for your flight to come in, nor get sent out from now nonexistent home offices (with everyone, even in journalism, mostly working from home) no more than ten minutes away. Though I have seen such things at times, usually when the press is concerned about something major to the city's life, such as who the new Bears coach or archbishop will be. A funny example of the latter (though downtown) was when Cardinal George was expected to arrive at a hotel reception preceding his installation at the cathedral. The cameras were ready as a limo rolled up. The door opened. And it was, ironically when expecting a Cathoic cleric, Sinbad who arrived and exited to say hi to the press!
They all went straight to booth one in the Pump Room when laying over in Chicago!

I recall Suzanne Pleshette talking about train travel on a talk show with her husband who hated flying, I would guess in the late 60's or so.
 
They all went straight to booth one in the Pump Room when laying over in Chicago!

I recall Suzanne Pleshette talking about train travel on a talk show with her husband who hated flying, I would guess in the late 60's or so.
Suzanne Pleshette. Was she talking about Bob Newhart her TV husband.😉
 
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As the linked article indicates, Important People aren't necessarily flying on scheduled routes either.
We’re all paying for it

In regard to celebrities being interviewed by reporters in Chicago, that even happened in smaller markets. I ran across an article in the Oregon Journal files interviewing the Japanese ambassador on his arrival from DC. He was connecting with a steamer from Portland to home.
 
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