This past June, we took 11 trains from Greenville, SC through the mid continent, to the NE and back. The Greenville, SC station is the ideal location to leave your vehicle, since it is a crew change location for the Norfork-Southern RR. Crewmen are coming and going all of the time and I have never had a problem leaving my truck at the station. One trip, it was parked there for 80 days. We gave Lee, the full time station agent the keys to my truck in case Norfork-Southern wanted to pave the lot. He was kind enough to start the truck a few times to keep the battery charged for our return. Amtrak must be a great organization to work for since most of the employees we come in contact with are lifers. You have to be a special breed to maintain their on again, off again schedules. I couldn't do it so I really appreciate their friendly faces when we board their trains.
We had three destinations for this years travels. First was Oklahoma City, then Wooster (Cleveland), OH and finally Vermont and Rhode Island. With the exception of the Texas Eagle from Fort Worth to Chicago, all of our trains ran on time. However, we can not blame Amtrak for the tardiness. There was a freight derailment out west blocking the tracks east of El Paso, forcing Amtrak to bus its Eagle passengers to San Antonio. The Eagle added the extra two cars from their storage track and departed some 4 hours late when the bus passengers arrived around 10 AM. We were assigned that handicap sleeper as my wife needed those accommodations. This sleeper was one of the original series, seriously in need of a make over. The bathroom was a drawn curtain instead of an enclosed room as the newer cars are made. It was lacking the standard safety rails for stability. Our conductor apologized to the customers for their tardiness. They normally can make up time traveling through Arkansas, but there were slow orders due to flash flood warnings and signals being out.
The food has always been great, tho at times they scrimped on the portions. Apparently the southbound Eagle was inundated with eaters causing a shortage for the returning train. No restocking is done in San Antonio. This Spring Amtrak came out with a fantastic Greek (vegetarian) salad. I had it on every train that offered it. But what I don't understand, they did not offer a Greek style dressing and the dressings provided didn't add to the salad. Here again, every train made up the salad a bit differently. The best salad and coffee was on the Crescent.
I am one of those travellers advised by their doctors not to fly due to a medical condition. It so happens I really don't need an excuse to ride trains as I hate to fly anyhow. We have travelled Amtrak every year for the past 19 years, some years 2 or 3 times and we could tell you stories how service and equipment have changed, but the food remains a constant, fine quality. Over the years we have watched the prices rise in the dinner and now its to the point, regrettably, where they will be pricing themselves out of most dining budgets.
Long distance trains travel must be kept regardless of cost. Remember after 9-11, the only mode of travel was by train as not a single airplane flew for an entire week. I live under the flyway between Atlanta and Asheville, NC. The sky's were eerily quiet then. Please support Amtrak through your elected representatives and NARP.
Arthur Raynolds
Thanks for the report, Arthur. My wife & I are also just off an Amtrak trip, with nothing but pleasure to report. You are correct, we must stand up to be counted or allow Amtrak's critics to carry the day.
Amtrak also partners with several airlines to provide seamless service using both trains and planes. This is just one more reason to support Amtrak.
My wife and I have made two round trips in coach this year between Longview, TX and Chicago on "our" train, the Texas Eagle, and each trip have ridden the Amtrak thruway bus between our hometown (Shreveport) and Longview. We arrived at our destination on time except for one return trip when the train was about 30 min. late. A great improvement from just a few years ago when the Eagle consistently ran late (often very late). The train was clean and comfortable and our fellow passengers and train crew were all friendly which made for pleasant trips. As always, the dining car was the highlight of our trips. The meals and companionship were consistently good but as mentioned a bit pricey. When you consider the cost of operating a restaurant on wheels vs that of mid-priced one at home, the cost of the Amtrak meals really aren't outrageously high. Between Longview and Chicago there are four different train crews. We were pleasantly surprised to find that about half the conductors and their assistants were young women.
We have at least one round trip planned for next year and I recommend you give Amtrak a try if you haven't ridden it in recent years.
Mark
today, oct. 9, I completed 2300+ miles using 5 amtrak trains in the east. the Vermonter is especially scenic along the connecticut river. but the food service is severely deficient on that train and the boston to newport news train. microwaving bread (the hot dog or the hamburger) just makes for a very tough product, difficult to chew! the "silver meteor", baltimore to miami, was full up south of washington. the south florida bound coach was completely full from d.c to west palm beach, when it started to thin out with each of the 6 south florida stops. timekeeping was generally 40-50 minutes down from baltimore to south florida, but that was because the bush river drawbridge was up, stacking up 4 southbounds! food was good. the lamb shank was excellent! the greek salad was good, but a bit wilted. observed a lot of progress on the central florida 'sunrail' double tracking and station platform construction. a money saving tip: the newport news to baltimore ticket is $28 higher than to washington! I got off in d.c. and took MARC to baltimore for $7, arriving 40 minutes later than the amtrak train. the MARC train appeared to be full up leaving d.c., with about 1/3 of the load going all the way. the biggest complaint of my various trips is that it sure would be nice if the 79 mph trains would really go 79 mph, instead of constantly slowing down to 30-45! america doesn't need european style fast trains for long distance travel, but consistently go 79 when they say that is the speed limit and the public will be satisfied!
What's needed is for a cloncerted, full-blown drive to snuff out all choke points which affect not anly Amtrak but all commuter/regional rail operations and even trackage that is presently all-freight. From there all tracks Amtrak uses should be upgraded to 110 mph and where notfeasible, 90 mph. When those new Vioewliner II cars get put into service, their higher speed capability needs to be fully taken advantage of wherever humanly possible.Any tracks that long-distance trains share with any high or highER speed trains should be sped up to 110 or 125 mph. I've read at least one place that they'll be capable of 110 hph and at least one other place that they'll be capable of 125 mph. Whichever it is, Amtrak needs to take the fullest possible advantage of it.
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