amtrak

https://livonius.substack.com/p/nec-catenary-madness-metuchen-april-15-2024-article How did 3 trains break their pantographs on April 15th, 2024? A written and audiovisual story of the events leading to a nightmare evening for thousands and a documentation of the research process After nine...

Hi, I’m taking the Carolinian for the first time, only for a short ride but chose an assigned seat in business class. I was wondering if anyone knew where the business class car, seemingly its only one, is located on the train? Is it the first car or the last car at the back? Just so I know...

Hi, I'm Gale. I'm in search of footage of the RTL III in running service for the few short weeks it ran, however so far my search is inconclusive. I've searched YouTube, various archives, & the Trains.com forum. However I have yet to find any footage of these things, and I feel if I don't spread...

As a somewhat regular rider (annually) of the Canadian, I take issue with "questionable service standards". The onboard service on the Canadian is both much better and much more consistent than Amtrak. I have never run into a surly OBS crew member on the Canadian, and have run into many on...

Wanted to travel the USA from coast to coast back in February 2024. Decided on doing Lakeshore Limited from New York to Chicago then Southwest Chief from Chicago to Los Angeles. It is my first time taking a sleeper train, was definitely intimidated by the long duration but overall had a great...

I have been informed by many sources that the ATSF Semaphores on the BNSF Glorieta Sub will be coming down by November 15. This is also in conjunction with NMRX removing 5 Semaphores from the NMRX ABQ Sub. These locations on the Glorieta Sub include South Las Vegas MP 774 (2 Semaphores, New...

It was recently reported that Deutsche Bahn, stemming from its partnership with Lufthansa, will be joining the Star "Multi-Modal" Alliance (same alliance as UA/LH/TK/SG and others). If Amtrak were to join, I think many air travelers would be incentivized to take the train and that an alliance...

I found some old negatives my grandpa took in 1979 of an old F40. It was taken in the MSP or Michigan area. This was well before my time! It's always fun to find some little pieces of history like that. :)

I apologize if this comes across as insensitive, but as someone from a major metropolitan area, I struggle to understand the value that trains provide to people living in rural areas. Even living in the suburbs of a major city, it is difficult to get anywhere without a car, and since public...

People often complain about how expensive Amtrak is compared to driving or flying, but I just bought a one-way ticket on the City of New Orleans from Champaign, Illinois to Chicago for $14. By comparison, the same ticket on the Peoria Charter Bus costs $37, driving costs $20-30 just for gas, and...

I am a student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. During breaks, I ride the Amtrak Illini and Saluki trains to and from my home in the suburbs of Chicago. On my way back to school in January we were flying through the South Side of Chicago and that got me wondering what is the...

As we speak they are upgrading the entire line to 40 mph!

Tell me if you think this would be a good idea. Someone who has worked for a long time (on the Empire Builder) recently told me that before COVID, long distance trains like the Coast Starlight or the Southwest Chief would have up to 500 people on the train every day (sometimes more) including...

I have made reservations for the California Zephyr on January and was put in car 530. I thought during the winter season it would only be 531 and 532? I want to know if this would be the transition car or the car next to the dining car?

You can now find a huge trove of US and Canadian timetables and maps on Timetable World. It has taken a while to establish links with US collectors, and to process the material that was offered. But it has been worth the wait. Here are some of the highlights: Amtrak: Now in its 50th year...

Somewhat related to the LOSSAN Corridor rebuild idea that I posted, the San Bernardino line is the only other line that is most likely to be electrified (and pretty much the first to be electrified if Metrolink plans on electrification). In tandem with the Foothill Extension, Metrolink can start...

Hi, a while ago I stumbled across this video on YouTube from that was produced by Amtrak Marketing and Sales Training in 1994 as a VHS tape which was used to advertise the different classes of service as well as onboard accommodations and amenities that one would find aboard Amtrak trains. The...

Amtrak California Zephyr train #5 departing from Chicago February 7, 2020. Beautiful journey through the snow covered Rocky Mountains, the Colorado Canyons and Sierra Nevada during winter. Note at 12 m 40 s: Due to a problem with one of the engines in Winnemucca we got an additional Union...

I'm on the Lake Shore Limited Albany to Chicago, beginning the trip Saturday. The forecast is for snow on Saturday night, possibly several inches, along with some wind the next morning. It's possible, though not convenient, that I could switch up and leave a day early. So those who have...