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Just booked NB 9811 ( is this VL 1--probably?) and SB 9712 ( is this VL 2? probably?) Not a fan of VL 2..will change if the option exists.

I recall backing into the Jacksonville Union station. I guess that doesn't happen any more anywhere.

Has any evaluation ever been made of an autotrain-like service that begins in Lorton (say), breaks in say, San Antonio and terminates in LA? No niggling--just LD transport of vehicle and driver.

How do you do this? I've heard a passenger can speak with the conductor and buy a roomette space if one is available. It would be nice to know just how you do that. [I'm a slow learner and it helps to have directions].

I had a phone message today supposedly from Norfolk & Southern about a 'personal matter', please call back. Of course I deleted the message because I couldn't think why N&S would be calling me. I DID look up N&S and found a number of articles about a Board of Directors election and CEO...

So you're suggesting the an impatient driver can't distinguish between a Brightline train and a freight train and therefore will try to blow a crossing that is active. I recommend that you have a serious discussion with the local school board about life skills education, especially driver...

That's roadway signal timing. Each intersection on a roadway corridor has signals timed to the posted speed. Since rail intersection times and roadway crossing timing are so unpredictiable, rail crossing signals are unlikely to be sychronized with roadway times. Every driver needs to...

As a person of additive years, I recommend reserving in a VI when possible. Toilet facilities are in the room not down the hall. Some people think that the aesthetic leaves something to be desired. I say that practical considerations are a reasonable approach.

For some people

Quad gates stop the bozos who try to get around vehicles stopped by regular gate. I once stopped at a high speed rail crossing in Spain--quad gates with chains came down 2-3 minutes before the train came through. What you see is gates with chains hanging down. The chains could be metal or...

On the train itself---On my wish list is 2 or 3 illuminated depot signs in script large enough to be read from, say, 50' at night. Many stops include signs that are unreadable from the train night or day. It is frustrating to be looking out the window and to have zero sense of where the train...

I once wrote a discussion of how the US was organized around rail connections--focused on Chicago. Rails and history are deeply interconnected. Amtrak inherited passenger services that had a lot of variety--good, bad and indifferent. Amtrak is the recipient of those historic conditions...

I took the Silver Meteor NB yesterday leaving from Central Florida and arriving in VA via roomette. It seemed the crew was complete with some trainee attendants. I was able to select a dinner time reservation (5,6,7 or 8) shortly after boarding. At dinner I had a full menu option. The table...

Meaning that someone was killed somewhere due to being on the CSX line in Florida? Resulting in a delay of many hours while the investigative process was conducted? It's a sad event but in FL it has be come common enough to suggest creating a checklist so investigators can assess how to move...

Headed north on Silver Meteor. I looked on line for current trip info and found that the Silver Star, my alternative route, is running 7 hours late in NC today. I looked around on line to see why and couldn't find anything on the Amtrak websie (my question--why not? It would be interesting...

Reports noted that a tow truck was attempting to remove a vehicle from the tracks. Every crossing is posted with instructions about how to contact the rail company. It is baffling that a tow truck driver or dispatcher -- both with cell phones--failed to call the rail line that there was a call...

Interesting..No FL 'adjustments'. Must be the service is a valuable addition to the state..Frequent(ish), convenient, useful for older demographic and travelers.

The Walkway is part of a mixed use trail system that uses the old rail right of way for its route. You probably can Uber to a street-level trail connector that is somewhat upstream from the elevator. Long ago, a friend who worked for Western Union was supervisor of the team that connected a...

It's been a few years since I crossed the Hudson on the old rail bridge. The bridge is at least 200 feet above the river. It overlooks the rail line and like many places along the Hudson, it is a spectacular view. I wouldn't want to hike to the bridge however. I'd take a taxi or Uber. The...

I found this charming account of a trip from Chicago to New Orleans on a website; https://longreads.com/2023/10/03/delights-of-train-travel-on-amtrak/?utm_source=pocket-newtab-en-us It captures why we tend to like train travel.