ndbprr wrote:I get roughly 1600 miles from Dallas to New York City. Cost of the train fare was $732.00 one way or $1464 roundtrip. The math works out the same if figured one way or roundtrip. $732/$4.25 per gallon = 172 gallons of gas. 1600 miles / 172 gallons = 9.3 miles per gallon required to break even. It was still probably cheaper to drive. Any better mileage than that and she would have come out ahead
Wheres the cost of insurance, depreciation, license, and wear and tear.
Al - in - Stockton
The lady I referred to in my first post was traveling with two kids on a limited budget so a sleeper was out of the question. The Amtrak coach fare was $732 one way for all three of them vs $1792 for a sleeper. Had she been able to afford a sleeper I'm sure she would have chosen to fly since the air fare was less, only $1695. Assuming the trains were on time (which I don't think they were) her trip took about 46 hrs vs 5-1/2 hours on a one stop flight. Even I, who like train travel, would have flown before paying that sleeper fare on Amtrak.
I've ridden coach on train trips of about 36 hours on the Southwind and City of Miami many years ago when those were excellent trains with all the ameneties. Even as a young man and a rabid railfan I was darn glad to reach my destination and get off the train. IMHO the service today falls way short of the standards of those times and 46 hrs (or more because the train is likely to be late, maybe very late) in an Amtrak coach is an ordeal not a vacation trip.
Mark
Mark-
You have hit the nail on the head. The real question is why is Amtrak travel like that? Why is the service quality so variable? Some if it, like on time performance, is partially out of Amtrak's control, but so much of it is within Amtrak's control.
If you want a reputation for quality, you have to do it right EVERY TIME! Not just when you're having a "good day."
Just one example: When I fly, even for one hour, I get to pick my seat. When I ride Amtrak's Crescent, I have to sit whereever the attendant decides to put me. If I book early, shouldn't I get to pick a better seat? I'd much prefer a mid-car window seat to windowless aisle seat at the car's end. All the seats are numbered, so why not? Heck, I'd even pay a few bucks for the priveledge.
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
ndbprr wrote:So she took a two day trip (or longer) on the train with no shower or comfort and crappy scenery when she could have flown in two hours. The trip isn't where its at in our society. Time is money and by the time she added meals and the time it cost her the trip was more costly then any other form of transportation she could have used. Train travel isn't romantic. Nobody can afford a luxury trip (at least no average joe). Diesels gave a brief shot in the arm to train travel but that was 60 years ago. It just doesn't have enough sense to roll over and die. It is an antiquated service and not a viable 21st century method of travel for long distances.
It has obviously been along time since you rode the train, for sleeping car passengers showers are available on Amtrak long distance trains and the comfort in the bedrooms is far superior to anything that flys today. Lounge cars are available on the long distance trains and meals are part of the fare if you travel in a sleeper. Most meals are pretty good and beat airline fare. And many of the passengers I have talked to on the trains are making it part of the vacation. The major problem is a lack of equipment. All Amtrak California trains are operating at capacity as I write and a lack of equipment is turning passengers away. On some trains passengers are even standing. Amtrak has a large number of out of service cars at Beech Grove that need to be repaired and returned to service. If Amtrak had twice the number of Superliners available I dare say they could keep them full. Passengers with the increase in airfares and cancellation of flights are turning to Amtrak to get them to their destinations. With the increase in gasoline prices more and more people will travel by rail.
Because of outrageous gas prices a number of people are opting to ride a train these days. For many it will be their first trip on Amtrak and unfortunately on the long distance trains at least their chances of having an enjoyable trip that lives up to their expectations are probably no better that 50/50. Of course some are better than others ranging from the Empire Builder at the top to the Sunset Ltd at the bottom of the list. All too often the first time rider forms opinions of Amtrak based on excessively late trains, uncommunicative (even outright surly) employees, marginal or completely lacking ameneties, "bustitution" (the ultimate indignity), etc.
A good friend's daughter and her two pre-teen children just comleted a trip from Marshall, TX to Chicago on the Eagle and on to NYC on the Lake Shore. Her comment on the trip was, "Amtrak sucks". She won't be riding the train again but worse she'll tell her friends about the experience and those that might consider Amtrak for a future trip will be discouraged from taking the train. I'm aware of all the reasons a train trip today can turn out to be endured rather than enjoyed and the blame is shared between the freight railroads and Amtrak. It's sad that there are so many missed opportunities to leave the first time riders with a favorable impression of train travel.
My wife doesn't like to fly and of course I'm partial to train travel. We make several trips a year to Chicago to visit her relatives and take the Eagle from Marshall on the few occasions that we don't drive. In recent years we've had more bad trips than good ones mostly due to excessively late trains. I used to recommend taking the train to others but in all honesty these days when the subject come up in discussions I usually keep my mouth shut or sometimes apologize in advance for Amtrak's shortcomings. It's sad that a long time fan can no longer in good conscience advocate travel by train.
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