I think "better than not having it" is objectively true in this case. I use Google to search flights, and most of the time I know if Amtrak would make any sense before searching, but in those situations where I would not otherwise know this might help inform me. I do look at emissions estimates and sometimes make changes based on what it says. Like most members I think Amtrak should provide API access to more aggregators, but I'm not seeing how this specific change prevents that.
You are exactly right.
There are two or three separable issues being conflated in this discussion.
The technical issue of how data is transmitted to and fro between Amtrak and Google about train service is handled by using GTFS just like the integration with SNCF and DB and others in Europe.
As for the integration in how the results of a search are presented, that is internal to Google since afterall that UX is entirely Google's bailiwick.
And finally handling the link back to Amtrak to initiate a reservation, that may be something that Amtrak provides using a non-standard interface. So there would be an opportunity to standardize that if it is not done already as a bolt on to GTFS.
My inside mole does not know for sure how the third piece above is done at present, but we both agreed that there is an opportunity for an open standard usage there if it is not already using something concocted by the likes of OASIS.
I have spent 20 years of my professional career in architecting and developing open standards for inter module communication in enterprise systems, so this is near and dear to my heart. I was the primary representative of HP at Object Management Group, OASIS and DMTF and several
ISO/IEC JTC-1 Subcommittee US Mirror Committees for a decade and a half, and edited the
CORBA standard upto CORBA 3.0.
And finally there is the marketing side, which is ... well ... marketing, and I know very little about it.
As an example of such integration Indian Railways provides a standard feed using GTFS to anyone that wants to suck in such information into their system, and provides a standard interface to the reservation system using a SABRE-like interface. IR has its own UX provided through IRCTC, which interestingly provides an integrated view of trains + planes where appropriate even though it is primarily a railway reservation system. In addition now there are at least a dozen third party reservation UX providers that integrate seamlessly with IR and airlines and provide an integrated view (some even integrating interstate bus services), and a few of the third party interfaces are way better than IR's own interface, including in handling IR specific functions of managing reservations in WL (waiting list) and RAC (Reservation Against Cancellation) etc. So, if there is a will there is a way.
