Coast-to-coast train journey
#46
Re: Coast-to-coast train journey
From my and family experience, even if you take out the fact that punctuality is a bit iffy at best. The staff have been unhelpful at best, rude at worst, the trains have been minging, the toilets vomit inducing, the seats not that comfortable and the ticket pricing not really that reasonable. They're better for the old folks who can get a discount but the rates aren't that much better.
The issue also tends to be being dumped on the edge of town, which is marginally worse than being dumped in the ghetto of down town that a coach would do.
I haven't gone coast to coast though, just Maine to Mass, but the missus and her family have used it to go down the east coast a few times.
With that Amtrak experience, I wouldn't want to go further, which is a shame as it should be a great way to see the country and I love going on the train.
The issue also tends to be being dumped on the edge of town, which is marginally worse than being dumped in the ghetto of down town that a coach would do.
I haven't gone coast to coast though, just Maine to Mass, but the missus and her family have used it to go down the east coast a few times.
With that Amtrak experience, I wouldn't want to go further, which is a shame as it should be a great way to see the country and I love going on the train.
Springfield-New York and back a few times.
Springfield-Chicago-Memphis
Birmingham, AL-Washington DC-Springfield
Boston-Portland and back
San Diego-Santa Barbara
I find that Amtrak coach seats are roomier and more padded that most US domestic airlines' first class (on all but the trans-cons). The staff are a mixed bunch, some happy, some miserable, but roughly the same ratio as any airline I've ever frequented. The fares aren't too bad either - they've recently reduced the fare to New York to $29 each way, which I think is a bit of a bargain.
Their rewards programme is good too. Points are fairly easy to acquire (as I said, my sleeping car trip to Seattle cost me almost nothing - well, probably about $55 for two people - and I didn't need to travel on a train to get them) and, while there are some blackout dates around holidays, the rest of the time award tickets aren't capacity-controlled unlike the airlines. If there's a seat - or a sleeping compartment - you can have it.
Amtrak long-haul simply cannot compete with airlines - obviously - based on travel time. No-one who is concerned about time should take the train.
The bogs can be rancid (as can plane bogs), but if your closest one has suffered a code brown then simply stroll down the train to the next one.
You should give them another go.
#47
Re: Coast-to-coast train journey
Aye, but that's because they've not been kind to me. It's like going to a restaurant and getting shit food, a second chance but rarely more than that.
Especially as it's not really any more convenient these days, certainly since the Bigdig is over with, driving back and forth to Maine isn't that bad.
The missus used to use it to get down to PA a few times and down to DC/VW area for the family.
The new prices to NY are pretty decent though, but the service just isn't really very reliable enough. Sure speed isn't of the essence, but if you're spending a couple days somewhere and you get a couple hour delay, that's a big chunk of the trip wasted and until there's some real competition to the trains, there's likely not going to be much improvements other than being a bit of a novelty.
Especially as it's not really any more convenient these days, certainly since the Bigdig is over with, driving back and forth to Maine isn't that bad.
The missus used to use it to get down to PA a few times and down to DC/VW area for the family.
The new prices to NY are pretty decent though, but the service just isn't really very reliable enough. Sure speed isn't of the essence, but if you're spending a couple days somewhere and you get a couple hour delay, that's a big chunk of the trip wasted and until there's some real competition to the trains, there's likely not going to be much improvements other than being a bit of a novelty.
#48
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Joined: Feb 2010
Location: Temecula, CA
Posts: 4,759
Re: Coast-to-coast train journey
From my and family experience, even if you take out the fact that punctuality is a bit iffy at best. The staff have been unhelpful at best, rude at worst, the trains have been minging, the toilets vomit inducing, the seats not that comfortable and the ticket pricing not really that reasonable. They're better for the old folks who can get a discount but the rates aren't that much better.
The issue also tends to be being dumped on the edge of town, which is marginally worse than being dumped in the ghetto of down town that a coach would do.
I haven't gone coast to coast though, just Maine to Mass, but the missus and her family have used it to go down the east coast a few times.
With that Amtrak experience, I wouldn't want to go further, which is a shame as it should be a great way to see the country and I love going on the train.
The issue also tends to be being dumped on the edge of town, which is marginally worse than being dumped in the ghetto of down town that a coach would do.
I haven't gone coast to coast though, just Maine to Mass, but the missus and her family have used it to go down the east coast a few times.
With that Amtrak experience, I wouldn't want to go further, which is a shame as it should be a great way to see the country and I love going on the train.
The Zephyr runs on UP from Denver to the west, and that's where it picks up most of the delays. BNSF do actually try to run the trains on time because they receive large cash incentives for doing so from Amtrak. I was at the BNSF Network Ops Center in Fort Worth about 8 years ago and watched as the dispatcher quite literally cleared the tracks for tens of miles in front of the Empire Builder so it could have a clear run - a daily ritual in each direction.
#49
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Joined: Apr 2004
Location: CHELTENHAM, Gloucestershire, England
Posts: 1,494
Re: Coast-to-coast train journey
Sounds like a great trip - would love to have the time to do something like that. Not done any trains in the US (unless you count Thomas the Tank Engine), but many moons ago (early 80's) I did York to Istanbul and the following year Darlington to Marrakech. Great time, and would love to retrace the routes, although I suspect my ageing bones may be more suited to a "roomette jobbie" than the luggage racks they slept on last time....
More recently (about 12 years ago!) I took the other half on a romantic weekend trip on the Orient Express from Bangkok to Singapore. Now that was nice! And it has to be said, there is something very erm "romantic" about the motion of a train trundling thru the Malaysian jungles at 25 miles an hour...
More recently (about 12 years ago!) I took the other half on a romantic weekend trip on the Orient Express from Bangkok to Singapore. Now that was nice! And it has to be said, there is something very erm "romantic" about the motion of a train trundling thru the Malaysian jungles at 25 miles an hour...
The weather throughout the day all the way from Norwich to Durham, during our stay in this lovely cathedral city, and back again was a right mixture - heavy rain, glimpes of sun, then showers and periods of rain again and wee spells of sunshine again.....UK "Summer" 2012 at its finest......
#50
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2006
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 12,865
Re: Coast-to-coast train journey
Last Saturday 30/06/12 I and my partner and two friends went on a special charter train excursion from Norwich to Durham city, passing through both York and Darlington, then back again later that day....start time 04:45 from Norwich, arriving back in Norwich at 22:50 hrs. We were staying with friends who live in Norwich, a city I absolutely adore.
The weather throughout the day all the way from Norwich to Durham, during our stay in this lovely cathedral city, and back again was a right mixture - heavy rain, glimpes of sun, then showers and periods of rain again and wee spells of sunshine again.....UK "Summer" 2012 at its finest......
The weather throughout the day all the way from Norwich to Durham, during our stay in this lovely cathedral city, and back again was a right mixture - heavy rain, glimpes of sun, then showers and periods of rain again and wee spells of sunshine again.....UK "Summer" 2012 at its finest......
#51
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2006
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 12,865
Re: Coast-to-coast train journey
I wonder how Amtrak defines late and what the average lateness is for its cross country routes?
#53
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Joined: Jul 2011
Location: Oakland, California
Posts: 400
Re: Coast-to-coast train journey
A friend decided to use moving to Oakland as an excuse to take the train cross country from Pennsylvania. She's a writer, and so found the trip good for getting stuff out.
I think I'd like to do something similar in the near future.
I think I'd like to do something similar in the near future.
#54
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Joined: Feb 2010
Location: Temecula, CA
Posts: 4,759
Re: Coast-to-coast train journey
There used to be the 30/90 rule but I'm not sure whether it's changed. That meant 30 minutes for short haul like north east corridor, Bob's Downeaster, etc, and 90 minutes for long haul like the California Zephyr. Thus recently the CZ arrived within 90 minutes of scheduled arrival time at Emeryville/Chicago about 60% of the time. Note that Amtrak heavily pads its final run from the penultimate stop to make it more likely to arrive on time - just like the UK.
See for yourself on Amtrak's website. It even breaks it down into who caused the delay, and what caused the delay (in general terms like track/signalling defects or dispatching priority).
See for yourself on Amtrak's website. It even breaks it down into who caused the delay, and what caused the delay (in general terms like track/signalling defects or dispatching priority).
#55
Account Closed
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 0
Re: Coast-to-coast train journey
The Zephyr runs on UP from Denver to the west, and that's where it picks up most of the delays. BNSF do actually try to run the trains on time because they receive large cash incentives for doing so from Amtrak. I was at the BNSF Network Ops Center in Fort Worth about 8 years ago and watched as the dispatcher quite literally cleared the tracks for tens of miles in front of the Empire Builder so it could have a clear run - a daily ritual in each direction.
Track and Signals: 35.2%
64.6% on BNSF Railway Company
35.0% on Union Pacific
0.4% on Amtrak
But yet in the other categories of operational and train interference, UP wins for top spot.
#56
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Joined: Feb 2010
Location: Temecula, CA
Posts: 4,759
Re: Coast-to-coast train journey
I was being light hearted with the BNSF comment as they were the top of the list for the top delay cause.
Track and Signals: 35.2%
64.6% on BNSF Railway Company
35.0% on Union Pacific
0.4% on Amtrak
But yet in the other categories of operational and train interference, UP wins for top spot.
Track and Signals: 35.2%
64.6% on BNSF Railway Company
35.0% on Union Pacific
0.4% on Amtrak
But yet in the other categories of operational and train interference, UP wins for top spot.
Incidentally, if you include the statistics you missed out, UP came top with 45% of overall delays; BNSF 35%. Are you a politician by any chance?
No I don't work for BNSF but if they want to send some work my way... or any other RR for that matter!
#57
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2006
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 12,865
Re: Coast-to-coast train journey
I was being light hearted with the BNSF comment as they were the top of the list for the top delay cause.
Track and Signals: 35.2%
64.6% on BNSF Railway Company
35.0% on Union Pacific
0.4% on Amtrak
But yet in the other categories of operational and train interference, UP wins for top spot.
Track and Signals: 35.2%
64.6% on BNSF Railway Company
35.0% on Union Pacific
0.4% on Amtrak
But yet in the other categories of operational and train interference, UP wins for top spot.
#58
Re: Coast-to-coast train journey
Well I'm on the train now, safely ensconced in my cosy little compartment sipping Cabernet, listening to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and watching western MA roll by. Not bad. Another 65 hours of this to go...
45 minutes late so far...
45 minutes late so far...
Last edited by tonrob; Jul 6th 2012 at 8:23 pm.
#59
Re: Coast-to-coast train journey
Safe & Timely Travels.
Jim
#60
Re: Coast-to-coast train journey
By the way, my mate missed his outward flight due to a shambles on the M25. Apparently he's now on the last JFK flight out of Heathrow, an hour late and sat in a jump seat!