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If you are on a long LD trip, the easy way to solve the food situation is to bring some emergency provisions with you. I was on the SW Chief 10 years ago and was so delayed that I spent an extra night in Kansas City MO. No big deal as the hotel was within walking distance of the train station...

I rode the Carolinian last weekend. 80 up from Charlotte to DC was on time down to the minute. However, the 79 back from DC to Charlotte was an hour late. I was more than 30 minutes late 4 out of the 5 days with 3 of the days over 1 hour. One of the instances was due to the downed lines coming...

I am traveling next Saturday on the Carolinian (80) from CLT to WAS is a day train. Is it worth the extra $ for business? The free drinks are irrelevant since I will bring my own. I am more interested in seat comfort and atmosphere. It has been a while since I have ridden on a day train more...

I expect the Feds and the state of Maryland to pony up a lot of the costs of this. They certainly will front the cost to get the bridge rebuilt. These things were built with government money initially and would be upgraded with government money regardless. That said the insurers for the ship...

If Edwin Edwards were still around he would know how to grease the wheels just right. I just get the feeling that there is more here to do with national politics than just port economics...

I regularly ride the Silver trains from Florida to points north including once to NYC. Very pleasant. The Star has returned to traditional dining. They are also using the new Viewliner equipment as it comes into service. I leave from Tampa which is a convenient point to do many things. TPA is...

The bottom line is that the potential customer base to carry multiple competitors for passenger rail travel is too small now for it to make any sense beyond Amtrak. The fact remains that, outside of the NEC, almost all people travel by rail because they WANT to rather than they have to. I am...

A point lost by most of the average public now on social media and it's not confined to infrastructure. It is every issue going. A good politician knows that legislation is the art of possible not a winner-take-all all war. Getting something done doesn't require someone to lose in every...

Has anyone ridden the Silver Star recently? I am planning on booking from Tampa to Raleigh NC for March 2024. It has been since 2021 since I rode that route and they have upgraded back to Traditional Dining. We book roomettes since it is an overnight trip. As I remember in 2021 we were in one of...

I just turned 40. I live in North Carolina and my parents live in Tampa FL. I have taken the Silver Star from FL to NC a few times. It is a 10-hour drive that chews up a whole day. The train is convenient because it leaves Tampa at 5 PM and arrives in NC at 8 AM. I get most of both days instead...

When I traveled on the Star in March I received a food email. When I traveled on the Star earlier this month I did not. In both cases my SCA took my dinner and breakfast order and I ate both in the dining car. Of course if you select something you are not bound by it. Not sure what advantage...

I am not against airlines per se, not my favorite form of transportation, but they have collectively lost more money in the last 40 years than any other industry in the United States. Their business model has never been consistently profitable and the business is highly cyclical to the point of...

The biggest problem I see going on is that everything has become "national" which is as problematic as being "partisan." Historically, outside of a handful couple 2-3 controversial issues that divided parties, most issues had other cleavages, urban/rural, regional, state/state, etc. The whole...

I was born in 1980 so I am an early millennial (I think) but also have been a long railfan and transportation fan in general. I travel a lot. I just did the Star from Florida to North Carolina last week. I think there is going to be two kinds of millennial passengers, the LD ones whose...

No one can realistically disagree that Amtrak can improve the housekeeping aspects of the train especially on the LD ones that get heavy usage. With that being said, I have long since come to believe that there is a negative bias with a large percentage of the general public regarding train...

I think the loophole is that an introduction was made, the passenger(s) were don't asked to sit there without a choice. It may be a while before we get back to Amtrak seating people together as a matter of form if ever. I think we may end up with a hybrid of people will be given the option or...

A lot of people on both sides of the divide are unaware of how most things work. That is part of the problem. With the internet and 500 cable channels people look for confirmation bias now rather than looking at an issue with an open mind and coming to a judgement based on facts and...

I have long since figured out that most of the cleavages in politics in rural areas are more cultural and not economic. I would not be surprised if you interviewed rural residents who were regular riders of Amtrak their political leanings differed from the overall leanings of their community...

I was just on the Silver Star and I wore a mask when I boarded and when I went to the diner. I did not have a mask on when I was in my roomette. The SCA did not ask me to put one on when he came by my door to greet me or ask me about dinner. He was out in the hall and was masked so it was pretty...

I am less worried about Amtrak funding from now until January 2025, its after that date is when things could get dicey if it goes that way. Not every Republican is against Amtrak although many are. A lot will depend on how successful Amtrak is on implementing these funds from now until then. I...