Airline passenger switching to Amtrak

[nxylas]

Bad news for the airlines, good news for the environment:

http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?ContentBlockID=e59cc0f4-999a-4b50-9e52-a772600baf32

[nxylas]

1. Sorry, that headline should have read "Airline passengerS..."

By the time I spotted it, it was too late to edit it.

[kestrel91316]

2. I'd LOVE to take the train from CA to WI at Christmas every year,

but what with it being WAAAAAAYYYYYYY more expensive, and taking twice as long, it's just not feasible. And I really don't have much need to go shorter distances, except to the vet conference in Vegas every Feb but there's OF COURSE no train from LA to Vegas (that would make way too much sense).

When I had the DBF I would sometimes take the Surfliner up to Goleta on the weekend - it saved a lot of driving hassle with the return traffic. But it also cost WAAAAAAYYYYYYY more than driving my econobox.

[Vogon_Glory]

3. Amtrak Could Give Airlines a Run For Their Money IF

Amtrak could give airlines a run for their money for medium-distance runs if it was better funded and could be allowed to run on time. As matters stand now, Amtrak lacks the money to run more than once-a-day trains in many potential urban corridors and the freight railroads that own the tracks hamper Amtrak's ability to keep to its schedules.

Let's face it. Flying isn't much fun anymore. I'd much rather take a train for a 200--250 mile trip than go through the hassles we have to go through at the airports.

[nxylas]

4. I bet a lot of people would

My wife and I traditionally go to visit my MIL for Thanksgiving each year. I'd love to be able to take a train from Columbia to Pittsburgh (or better still, to Weirton, WV, where she actually lives), but Weirton doesn't have a train station and it takes too long and costs too much to get to Pittsburgh. One can only imagine what might have been if Eisenhower had used the money he ploughed into creating the interstate system and spent it on a really top-notch passenger rail network instead.

[AndyTiedye]

5. The Coast Starlight and the California Zephyr Are Both Beautiful Train Rides

When we need to get to Denver, we take the Zephyr.
Beautiful scenery through the Sierras and the Rockies.

The Coast Starlight is a very nice way to get to LA or Seattle.

You do need to not be in a hurry though.
It's really more of a vacation than transportation.

We really need something more like the rail systems they have in Germany or France though.
We could probably build it for less than we're spending every year on the Iraq war.