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The big advantage of a train is the ability to walk around, get up and stretch. Nobody wants to sit in a seat for five or six hours straight. Instead, people want a nice lounge to go to, and even a diner. Train travelers used to like to get on a short distance train, have a meal, and arrive at...

I didn’t know the cafes weren’t going to have tables. That’s totally absurd. This, along with the uncomfortable seats, make these cars a total bust. I can’t believe they designed such dud equipment. A train without a cafe with seating is absolutely ridiculous. Seats that are tolerable for a half...

Here’s some food for thought. Imagine the railroads had remained nationalized and the highway centric policies that carried the day during the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s had been in place and responsible for funding the railroads. We might have an even more skeletal rail system than we have.

The fundamental premise we have to decide before we think about ownership models is what we want the railroads to be, and understand that we, as a society, have a right to have the railroads be what we need them to be. They were built with massive land grants, charters and subsidies, and have...

You have reasonable standards. How that Indy nightmare was ever allowed to transpire is really sad. The steep staircase alone is outrageous. An Indy cop friend of mine used to have sting operations in the bathroom which was frequented by drug dealers and prostitutes. I’ve used that station many...

If you have any kind of normal mobility and haven’t excessively overpacked, the Blue Line is great. I’ve done it many times in all kinds of weather. Not getting stuck in traffic and not paying a small fortune are reasons enough. I’ve never had anything even remotely suggesting a concern for...

This is a great idea. It would be nice if they could have a couple through cars from New York. This will free up some Superliners for other service.

The fact that we’re willing to accept Indianapolis as not that bad is just a reflection of how low our standards have gotten.

At both Indianapolis and Cincinnati, the stations are on a different level than the tracks. The platforms are inaccessible except through the stations. In Indianapolis, the station is in a grim basement below the platforms down an incredibly steep staircase. That device gets one off the train...

This repeats the common misconception that fare box recovery means anything at all. First of all, highways and civil aviation infrastructure have zero fare box recovery, so it’s an idiotic measure of the value of a service. Second, it’s been proven again and again by economic models that the...

Back in the days of railroad operated passenger service, many railroads advised in their timetables that people should check their bags a couple of days in advance to ensure on time arrival.

Jeans and a polo. Usually a jacket in case it gets cold. The same thing I wear if I’m flying.

I just want to thank everyone for the fascinating discussion. As one of the stakeholder reps for the FRA’s long distance study, these kinds of scheduling issues will be very salient as we begin the “Fund the 15” campaign here in the U.S. I was lucky enough to ride both the Super Continental and...

That would presuppose some creativity that might not exist, but it’s an intriguing idea. Through cars could be offered from Boston on a Northeast Regional which would extend through Florida service to New England without needing to send a full train to Boston. If the train was late from Florida...

It’s not a cultural norm, it’s the US Constitution. All states pay fair market value, and as practical matter, usually more because the litigation can be very favorable to property owners. I suspect Texas law mirrors the laws of other states. Interestingly, in most states, transportation...

You can get off or not when you’re in the through cars. I’ve both slept through it and explored depending on my energy level. It’s not the best time to sightsee, but it can be interesting. There used to be a 24 hour Denny’s nearby, but that might be gone. I did that a couple of times.

Totally with you on the black bean burgers. Bring them back!

Britain is going to a new system called Great British Rail which will again have the government more involved. When Labour gets in, they’ll renationalize.

I agree they have to fix the equipment, but there’s a huge problem. They’re coming off line as fast as they’re being shopped leading to no net increase in available equipment. If we’re going to get new service, we need cars sooner. I used Ventures as an example. Anything they can get building...

Everything I’ve heard is bilevels. If you read the RFP, it doesn’t actually say bilevel, it says bilevel replacement meaning it’s a replacement for the Superliner fleet. But everything I’ve heard is they’ll be bilevels. However, they need more equipment today. They should order Ventures with...