Edit post

Edit your reply below.

Post Body
Enter your post below.
[quote user="schlimm"]   <blockquote> <div><img src="/TRCCS/Themes/trc/images/icon-quote.gif" /> Phoebe Vet:</div> <div>   Mr. Railman: How about if you and I start at a hotel in lower Manhattan with two suit cases each.  We will leave at the same time and meet at a hotel in down town DC.  You fly and I'll travel by Amtrak. We will then see who gets there first, and who spent the most money.  Be sure to count all the point to point transportation, such as rental cars, buses or taxis and all bag fees.  Include in the time, all the time spent standing in line at the airport to get strip searched and waiting for your bags. THEN you can tell us whether or not train travel is a joke. <div style="clear:both;"></div>   </div> </blockquote>   Sounds like a good segment for "The Great Race" although I would not bet on the guy who is flying. [/quote] And it's the plane by a nose!  A photo finish!     Let's start the race from the Roosevelt Hotel.  I have stayed there on many occasions.  It is a great hotel in midtown Manhattan, near Grand Central Station, and it is favored by many business people.    A taxi from the Roosevelt to LaGuardia takes an average of 30 minutes, according to information furnished by the airport and the New York Taxi Commission.  The average fare is $27.00, again according to the New York Taxi Commission.  According to the TSA, the average times required to clear security at LaGuardia at 7:30 a.m. on a Wednesday morning, which is a representative business day, range from five to 13 minutes.  If one gets to the airport with 30 minutes to spare, she should have no trouble clearing security and making it to the gate on time if she has purchased an on-line ticket, which most people do these days.  Our pro-forma passenger, who is staying at the Roosevelt but is attending a conference at the Willard Hotel in Washington, has one carry-on, which is normal for business people traveling between New York and Washington.  If they have two suitcases, however, as long as they are sized properly, one could go under the seat and the other in the overhead bin.    The chock to chock time on the 8:00 a.m. Shuttle from New York to Washington is one hour and nineteen minutes.  The fare for May 18th is $200.   Deplaning in Washington should take no longer than 10 minutes, with another 10 minutes to get to the train (subway) station for the ride into the district.  Assuming our business person is going to the Willard Hotel for her conference, it will take approximately 17 minutes to get from the airport station to the stop closest to the Willard.  It will take maybe five minutes to walk to the hotel.  The cost of the subway is $1.60. Getting from the Roosevelt to Penn Station by taxi, which I have done often, should take approximately 10 to 12 minutes on a Wednesday morning according to the New York Taxi Commission.  The fare averages $7.75, again according to the New York Taxi Commission.  One should be on the Penn Station concourse at least 12 to 15 minutes before train time so as to be able to board and get settled timely. The travel time on the 8:00 a.m. Acela from New York to Washington is two hours and 48 minutes.  The cost of a business class seat is $186. De-training and getting to the Metro stop at Union Station in Washington should take no longer than 10 minutes.  The travel time from Union Station to the stop closest to the Willard is six minutes, with another five minutes to walk to the hotel. The total cost to go from the Roosevelt Hotel in New York to the Willard Hotel in Washington by surface and air is $228.60.  The total cost to take the Acela, including local transport, is $195.35.  The out-of-pocket savings for the Acela passenger would be $33.25.   The price of the plane ticket covers the airline's proportional costs and produces a small return for the shareholders.  The price of the Acela ticket covers the proportional share of the operating costs and contributes to the NEC capital costs, but it is not sufficient to cover all of the allocable costs.  A conservative estimate of the capital subsidy for the Acela passenger between New York and Washington ranges from $28.58 to $51.20 per person.  The actual amount, which Amtrak does not disclose, would depend on a number of variables, but if it charged the full cost of the service between New York and Washington, the price of an Acela ticket (business class) could be $223.93 to $246.55.  In addition, Amtrak pays no fuel taxes, power taxes, or property taxes.  When these factors are included in the numbers, the real cost of the Acela is somewhat higher than the airline fare.   The door to door travel time on the shuttle would be approximately 194 minutes.  The door to door time on the Acela would be approximately 201 minutes.  Both trips would be lengthened a bit because of waits to hail a cab in New York and get local transit in DC, but they should be equal for both parties. Assuming cost is a consideration, the seven minute flying time advantage does not appear to be worth it.  However, there are many variables associated with travel between New York and Washington.  Comparisons are difficult to make, although they are fun.  Each traveler's situation is different.  For example, if I lived in Manhattan, I would take the train if I were going to center city Washington, but if I were going to one of the Virginia suburbs, where many offices are located, I would fly.  If I lived on Long Island or in West Chester County or in New Jersey, where many business managers and professionals reside, I would probably opt for the plane as opposed to making my way to Penn Station New York or Penn Station Newark.
Tags (Optional)
Tags are keywords that get attached to your post. They are used to categorize your submission and make it easier to search for. To add tags to your post type a tag into the box below and click the "Add Tag" button.
Add Tag