https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-amtrak-idUSKBN19X2UJ
Amtrak considering reducing seat pitch to create economy class. Okay. If you can't afford new equipment....
Also, the House Appropriations Committee approved a budget that keeps Amtrak pretty much as-is plus a big chunk of money for Gateway.
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
One Public Relations disaster coming up!
"Sad."
As for the Appropriations Committee:......
Amtrak is not thinking with they head. They are thinking with Butt.
Sounds like a smart move on Amtrak's part.
I am suprised they have not done this already.
An "expensive model collector"
conrailman Amtrak is not thinking with they head. They are thinking with Butt.
Small butt at that.
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
What trains does this apply to?
The airline guy has been there only for a few weeks and we are already reducing seat pitch? Damn, that didnt take long!
Even before it was decided that it would be necessary give airline passengers a patdown, my wife spoke of traveling by train as traveling "in civilized comfort." If this change comes to pass (for coach passengers only?), it may well be possible to travel in civilized discomfort.
Would the next step be two and three seats in the economy coaches?
Johnny
From the sounds of it, Amtrak says they charge more than airlines in NEC already. This would be less space for a lower fare to grab even more market share from airlines.
Sounds like an NEC and branches kinda thing.
Bringing airline economy class standards to Amtrak has to be one of the dumbest ideas I've heard in awhile. What other advantages of train travel could we eliminate as long as we're at it?
Make it SRO and you can probably get most trains down to a single car.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
LOL, yeah the seat pitch idea only will work if you have a fast train that is competitive to air............otherwise your just going to push Coach passengers to buses or back to driving their cars. Though in my view Amtrak could indeed slide the seats closer together by an inch or two without anyone noticing the difference and perhaps gain an extra row of seating per car.
If you increase the seating capacity of coaches.......don't you also have to increase the number of Emergency Exits to get folks out in time of say a fire?
So some seats have passengers trying to see the scenery though the posts between the windows?
Somebody better make that point to both bosses very quickly.
CMStPnP If you increase the seating capacity of coaches.......don't you also have to increase the number of Emergency Exits to get folks out in time of say a fire?
That is a requirement by the FAA for certifications of aircraft. Have to be able to evacuate full aircraft in 90 seconds from half of the operating exits. Does anyone know of a similar requirement from FRA ?
Dave's point of moving seats and then having a post in way is very important.
blue streak 1Dave's point of moving seats and then having a post in way is very important.
Only if you care about the passenger experience.
BaltACD blue streak 1 Dave's point of moving seats and then having a post in way is very important. Only if you care about the passenger experience.
blue streak 1 Dave's point of moving seats and then having a post in way is very important.
The context of the article was mostly the NEC. Window view and scenery is largely irrelevant there in terms of passenger experience..
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
In the days of "heritage" trains, at times I rode in coach seats which did not allow good viewing because the window spacing did not match the seat spacing.
schlimm BaltACD blue streak 1 Dave's point of moving seats and then having a post in way is very important. Only if you care about the passenger experience. The context of the article was mostly the NEC. Window view and scenery is largely irrelevant there in terms of passenger experience..
You mean the NEC passengers don't enjoy the vistas of junk yards, chemical plants, dumps, industrial warehouses, decaying infrastructure - all the things that make America great, today![/sarcasm]
Back in the day, I loved being on the B&O going through Pittsburg and watching the activities that made America great, then! A inspiring light show put on by heavy industry!
BaltACDBack in the day, I loved being on the B&O going through Pittsburg and watching the activities that made America great, then! A inspiring light show put on by heavy industry!
I remember those days!
My KSU roommate about 1965 from Scottdale, Pa. often took the B&O between Connellsville and Kent. He told me that when the train went through Pittsburgh (McKeesport, actually?) passengers passed through the steel mills ("You can read the inventory numbers on the boxes!" he said).
In March of 1967 I took my first long distance train trip from Kent to Baltimore and found out...he was right! Right through the mills! You could see "Joe Magarac" up close!
Pittsburgh in 1967! The P&LE station was our layover point; the big wooden shed over Smithfield Street was still in place; red and white PCC cars abounded!
Half a century has passed and I still, and will always, miss the Pittsburgh and Cleveland of my youth.
I regret that the one time that I passed through Pittsburgh on the Capitol I was asleep in my Slumberroom. (having spent the previous night from Birmingham to Carbondale in a coach seat, I was glad to sleep from dinner to leaving Cumberland)..
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1430221
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUiKpphIV3c&t=7m38s
Great pics! Thanks for sharing. Did the B&O call those Speedliners?
BaltACD schlimm BaltACD blue streak 1 Dave's point of moving seats and then having a post in way is very important. Only if you care about the passenger experience. The context of the article was mostly the NEC. Window view and scenery is largely irrelevant there in terms of passenger experience.. You mean the NEC passengers don't enjoy the vistas of junk yards, chemical plants, dumps, industrial warehouses, decaying infrastructure - all the things that make America great, today![/sarcasm] Back in the day, I loved being on the B&O going through Pittsburg and watching the activities that made America great, then! A inspiring light show put on by heavy industry!
Most of the NEC trains are going too fast to really see much that is close to the RoW.
schlimm BaltACD schlimm BaltACD blue streak 1 Dave's point of moving seats and then having a post in way is very important. Only if you care about the passenger experience. The context of the article was mostly the NEC. Window view and scenery is largely irrelevant there in terms of passenger experience.. You mean the NEC passengers don't enjoy the vistas of junk yards, chemical plants, dumps, industrial warehouses, decaying infrastructure - all the things that make America great, today![/sarcasm] Back in the day, I loved being on the B&O going through Pittsburg and watching the activities that made America great, then! A inspiring light show put on by heavy industry! Most of the NEC trains are going too fast to really see much that is close to the RoW.
Interesting as the seat alignment with windows was a big issue in the UK with the new generation of class 800 IEP trains. Guess 125 is slow enough to enjoy the scenery.
schlimm Great pics! Thanks for sharing. Did the B&O call those Speedliners?
Yup.
https://archive.org/stream/Classic_Trains_Special_Edition_No.19_Great_Trains_East#page/n91/mode/2up/
https://archive.org/stream/Classic_Trains_Special_Edition_No.18_Great_Trains_West#page/n0/mode/2up
wanswheel schlimm Great pics! Thanks for sharing. Did the B&O call those Speedliners?
Dakguy201 Bringing airline economy class standards to Amtrak has to be one of the dumbest ideas I've heard in awhile. What other advantages of train travel could we eliminate as long as we're at it?
Fortunately the trains can add coaches to take almost an unlimited number of people in relative comfort. With my long legs, I like when the adjacent seat is vacant so that I can periodically really stretch out. On my last long train trip, I watched the guy across the aisle try every which way to lay across the two seats in order to get some sleep. At one point his legs were in the aisle.
This reminded me of a bus I saw that was converted to take people on a sightseeing trip from London to India in what could be called a rolling hotel. It had Japanese style sleeping cubicles that could be used for lay flat lounging during the day if needed, and then for sleeping when the bus parked for night at a campsite.
Amtrak management should be thinking of ways to improve the train riding experience and stay far away from canning sardines.
RME wanswheel schlimm Great pics! Thanks for sharing. Did the B&O call those Speedliners?
I was referring with a lack of clarity to the name of the train service, not the RDC units.
Jim200Airline sardine class standards is an abomination. It's about time that people start protesting such treatment. Fortunately the trains can add coaches to take almost an unlimited number of people in relative comfort. With my long legs, I like when the adjacent seat is vacant so that I can periodically really stretch out. On my last long train trip, I watched the guy across the aisle try every which way to lay across the two seats in order to get some sleep. At one point his legs were in the aisle.
If Amtrak coaches are so empty one person can use two seats, it's lucky for you but pretty inefficient. If you want more room and comfort on airlines, try business or first class or at least the extra legroom coach seats, but you'll pay a lot more. If you don't mind using up most of a vacation in getting to and fro, take the long distance train.
Maybe that's the whole idea with all the baggage cars? No seats = lots of people room.
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