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Congress approves Amtrak funding by veto-proof margin

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[quote user="fredswain"]If they use these funds to help develop better long distance trains and right of ways, not to mention schedules, then it could be a good thing. Somehow I think they are going to focus mostly on where the trains are already at which isn't where more money really truly needs to be directed. For those of us in other parts of the country, such as here in Houston, this doesn't mean a thing. Then again Amtrak in general out of here is a joke. Spend some of that money here to insure that we can get 7 day a week service that leaves at a respectable time of day, rather than the middle of the night, and doesn't average 5 hours late. Then I'll be happy. Until then I'm still driving or flying.[/quote]Here is the reason long distance trains make no sense for all but a few people.For a person traveling from Austin to San Francisco on August 15th, the one way fare on Southwest Airlines would be $98 to $135, depending on the time of departure.  This is the Wanna Get Away fare.  The trip would take about six hours and would include one stop, with a possible change of planes.The Amtrak coach fare would be $385 going on The Texas Eagle and California Zephyr, while a roomette would cost $1,043.  Going on the Texas Eagle to LA and San Joaquin to San Francisco, the coach fare would be $179.  With a roomette to LA and coach to San Francisco, the tab would be $566.  The travel time on the Eagle and Zephyr would be 79 hours, whilst the time on the Eagle and San Joaquin would be approximately 50 hours.Even if aviation fuel prices doubled, the long distance train could not compete with the cost, time and convenience of flying.  It is for this reason that the long distance trains should be discontinued in favor of more and better corridor trains.
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