Why rail travel is doomed to failure

[C91]

It was an ordeal...but I made it to Charlotte via Amtrak.

The trip started off fantastic.  I boarded the Silver Star in Tampa on Monday at about 3:15.  That was approximately 30 minutes late, but I was in no hurry.  I fouhd a seat, spread out, and enjoyed the scenery until it got dark.

After years of travel on airliners, the seating arrangements on a typical Amtrak coach left me feeling spoiled.  There was a full two feet of legroom at my feet, a footrest that folded down from the seat in front of me, a wide comfortable seat that reclined more than an airline seat, and a La-Z-Boy style legrest.  To my right was an AC outlet I could use to power my laptop.  This was turning out great.

Shortly after the train left the station, a dining car attendant made the rounds to take reservations for dinner.  Most of the folks in coach declined, but I wanted the full rail travel experience, so I put myself down for 7:15.

After a couple of hours on the rail, I got up to explore the Silver Star.  I was in the last coach car and toward the front.  I passed through three more coach class cars before entering the club car.  Since I still had a couple of hours until dinner and I hadn't eaten much that day, I ordered a tray of chips and salsa with a Pepsi from the attendant.  It was $4.50.  A little steep, I thought, but I really didn't have much choice.  I handed the man a 5, dropped the change in his cup and headed back to my seat.

I snacked away as we passed through Orlando.  The sun was setting so I turned away from the window and grabbed a crossword puzzle book and worked on a few of those until 7:15 came.

When it was time for dinner, I walked back to the front of the train.  As I entered the club car, I followed the signs to proceed forward for the dining car.  When the door to the dining car opened, I was greeted with the scene of four men preparing meals in a cramped kitchen.  I worked my way to the seating area, passing what was once a place for counter service.  There is no such thing as a table for one on Amtrak.  There are only ten tables in the car and each one is filled whether you know who you're dining with or not.  I was seated with another single traveler.  Much to my chagrin, it wasn't one of the hotties I saw at the Tampa station.  My dinner companion told me this was his first train trip in 30 years.

The table was covered with a while disposable linen.  The waiter placed a cloth napkin with flatware in front of me and asked, "What are you gonna have, buddy?"  Although he wasn't as cordial at the other two wait staff in the dining car, he wasn't rude by any means.  I ordered a roast chicken dinner from the extensive menu.  It was served with a garden salad, roll, mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, and iced tea or coffee.  Amtrak meals are no longer served on real china.  A disposable plastic service has been utilized in an effort to keep costs down.  I kid you not, it was the best roast chicken I've ever had.  When I grabbed the leg, the bone fell right out.  After dinner, I ordered a slice of cheesecake with strawberries and whipped cream.  My Amtrak dinner cost me $18.25.  Once again, kind of expensive for what was served, but there were less expensive things on the menu I could have chosen and I'm sure they would have been just as good.

As I walked back to my seat, we were in Jacksonville.  The train that was 3/4 empty when we left Tampa was now full.  I pulled out my laptop, put on a DVD and said hello as my new seatmate settled in.  It was 11 when the movie ended.  We were scheduled to pull into Raleigh at 5:40 am.  I grabbed a pillow and the blanket I brought along and tried to settle in for some sleep.  It took about 30 minutes to doze off, but when I did, I was out for a while.  I woke up as the train pulled in to Denmark, South Carolina to pick up passengers.  Then I was out again.

At around 5, I woke up as the sky started to brighten a little.  I called the Amtrak hotline and learned that we would be arriving at 6:30, not 5:40.  Just after six, I wandered up to the club car for a cup of coffee.  By the time I made my way back, we were pulling into Raliegh, where I would have approximately 10 hours to kill before my train to Charlotte.

Or so I thought.

I returned to the station about an hour before my scheduled departure on the Carolinian.  This was going to be a full train because the waiting room was jammed.  Shortly after I arrived, an announcement ws made that the train was running late and would not arrive at the station until around 6 p.m.  No biggie, I thought.  I anticipated a delay.  But, as the time got closer, the announcements kept coming.  6:20, 7:00, then 8:00. 

Why the delay?  Well, here's the problem Amtrak faces.  Amtrak doesn't own most of the tracks its trains run on.  It is at the mercy of the freight companies that do.  So, freight trains take priority on those tracks.  On this particular night a freight train broke down on those tracks, leaving a passenger train stuck behind it.  And it stayed there until the freight company could get a new engine to the stranded train.

So, my 8:14 p.m. arrival in Charlotte became a 12:30 a.m. arrival.  I thought my four hour trip on that train was bad -- until I talked to the lady behind me who got on in Washington D.C. some 14 hours earlier.

There is a demand for rail travel.  The packed trains I've been on this week are a testament to that.  But until efforts are made to improve the infrastructure, Amtrak will continue to be saddled with a bad reputation. 

Rail travel is successful in European countries because the trains have a dedicated infrastructure which keeps them on time and reliable.  Even in the United States, trains in the Northeast and on the West Coast are gaining a reputation for being efficient because they have their own tracks on which to run.

But as a form of long-distance travel, Amtrak will continue to fail until the powers that be build a track system that allows it to run on time.  And that's a shame, because the Amtrak employees I met take pride in their work and enjoy their jobs.  They deserve better than what they're stuck with.

(Now, we'll see how the return trip goes...)

[pariann]

At least you are where you wanted to go. That's always a plus.

[Locutus]

Wow, that's some story.  Are you sure that Amtrak runs on its own tracks in the NE, specifically between Union Station in DC and Boston?  I think I recall seeing freight trains on those tracks too.

[~Daisy~]

Aaron recently took Amtrack to Milwaukee. He completely enjoyed his experience, and had no real delays. Luckily the train I raced him to catch in Lafayette was about 10 minutes late, because we'd already missed the one in downtown Indy and barely made the Lafayette train.


We have decided to take a train vacation this summer, but we cannot agree on the route. I want Adirondacks; he wants Chicago to San Diego. Any advice?

[pariann]

I advise you DON'T take one.  Remember all your financial problems you keep having?  Get all that crap straightened out first.

[~Daisy~]

This will be next summer. It will all be over then.

[Sandy Eggo]

Aaron recently took Amtrack to Milwaukee. He completely enjoyed his experience, and had no real delays. Luckily the train I raced him to catch in Lafayette was about 10 minutes late, because we'd already missed the one in downtown Indy and barely made the Lafayette train.


We have decided to take a train vacation this summer, but we cannot agree on the route. I want Adirondacks; he wants Chicago to San Diego. Any advice?

The Adirondacks are beautiful. I love it there. If you're into scenary, camping/cabins, fishing, hiking...outdoors stuff then I'd recommend there. The people are very friend, but it's very rural.  The water is so clear that you can see the fish swimming. Unless it rains.

Selfishly, I'd advise you to do the Chicago to San Diego trip. Maybe we could arrange it so that I can meet you guys. San Diego is one of the prettiest cities on earth. There is SO much to do here. You name it. There's a running joke that you're 15 minutes away from anything and that's the truth.

[~Daisy~]

Ooh now I'm really torn!!!

[C91]

Wow, that's some story.  Are you sure that Amtrak runs on its own tracks in the NE, specifically between Union Station in DC and Boston?  I think I recall seeing freight trains on those tracks too.

According to the timetable I picked up in Raleigh, Amtrak owns the rails for 5 of its 13 Northeastern routes (Boston-New Haven, Springfield-New Haven, New Rochelle-Washington, New York-Harrisburg, and New York-Yonkers).  Of the 8 remaining routes, three (New Haven-New Rochelle, Haverhill-Boston, and Yonkers-Poughkeepsie) are run on tracks owned by other passenger-only railways. 

So, there is a chance you may have seen freight trains on your DC-Boston trip.

Contrast that with the rest of the east, where Amtrak owns track on only 10 of 45 routes, and I think you can see where the problem is.  Basically once they get south of DC, Amtrak trains are at the mercy of CSX.

[C91]

There's a running joke that you're 15 minutes away from anything and that's the truth.

Including two nude beaches.

[Sandy Eggo]

Including two nude beaches.

I know about Black's...what's the other?

[C91]

San Onofre.  Technically, not San Diego, but pretty damn close.

[BEG]

Thanks for the info. I'm thinking about going West on Amtrak later this year - perhaps Colorado. I think I'll need to check on ownership of the rail before I do.