How long is long distance?

[user 6862]

Here's a question that everyone can have an opinion on and I think I have created a poll here for your choice, but it's the first time this space may be blank!

 

[Seaboard92]

Legally it's 751 miles. But that's more a medium distance if you ask me

 

[Chatter163]

Overnight trip.

 

[oregon pioneer]

Overnight trip.

Yep. If I have to prepare to sleep past midnight (more than just a snooze), it's Long Distance to me.

 

[user 6862]

my vote is 36 hours so it includes a full day and a full night. I meant to add this is only for the Amtrak network as possible distances are longer than most other countries.

 

[railiner]

Agree....overnite is 'long distance' even if only eight hours or so....

 

[AmtrakLKL]

I believe the conductors union contract definition of a long distance train is simply any train with a sleeping car. So when the Palmetto operated to/from MIA with coaches and business class it was not a long distance train... :giggle:

 

[BCL]

I'm pretty sure it's any train with sleepers. For a while I was thinking low train numbers, but that's not necessarily it.

 

[tricia]

Overnight trip.

Yep. Oughta be an option in this poll.

 

[caravanman]

You need to do like Chuck Berry, and call "Long Distance Information"... They will know .

Ed

 

[user 6862]

Have you been at the sauce again Ed?

 

[Shanghai]

I say overnight or overnights.

 

[MARC Rider]

possible definitions:

Longer than the shortest air trip. If you include travel to the airport, arriving early to get through security, the actual flight, collecting your baggage at the other end, and clearing the airport, the shortest flight takes 4 hours. IMO.

Longer than a full day's drive. For me, that's about 8 hours, although I've been known to pull 10 -12 hour days On some road trips. But if I have the choice, I look for a motel at 8 hours.

Also, a true LD train trip should be a non corridor service. That means less than 3 or 4 trains Per day frequency. So I would not consider an overnight ride on NER 66 or 67 between BOS and WAS to be LD even if they had a sleeping car.

Also, a true LD train should have more than standard coach service. A certain level of extra comfort is justified for trips of 4-8 hours or more. At the minimum, Amfleet 2 or Superliner coach seats with greater seat pitch and seat recline. Some sort of provision for food service, even if it's only an extended stop to allow purchases from platform vendors. And,of course, a sleeping car available for overnight trips.

 

[neroden]

This is a semantics question.

All I'll say is that the following situations are different and should be treated differently by Amtrak management:

-- daytime across one or fewer meals

-- daytime across two meals

-- daytime across three meals

-- single overnight "bedtime to breakfasttime"

-- overnight-plus-one-meal

-- overnight-plus-two-meals

-- overnight-and-a-day (overnight + three meals)

-- double-overnight or more

Each situation demands different service levels. The service levels on a train should be calibrated to the longer end of the possible trips which can be taken on that train.

 

[west point]

addition to semantics post. What is the average distance for both coach and sleeper passengers ? Can be quite different lengths. Of course Auto train is different with everyone going the 855 miles Interesting how many coach passengers eat a meal(s) on the auto train.

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

Overnight trip.

Yep. If I have to prepare to sleep past midnight (more than just a snooze), it's Long Distance to me.

Me too.

And I'll add, if Amtrak makes me breakfast in the morning, I spent the night.

 

[jis]

addition to semantics post. What is the average distance for both coach and sleeper passengers ? Can be quite different lengths. Of course Auto train is different with everyone going the 855 miles Interesting how many coach passengers eat a meal(s) on the auto train.

Presumably most, if not all, Coach passengers eat meals on the Auto Train since it is included in their ticket. They have their own separate dedicated Dining Car.

 

[railiner]

Semantic's indeed.....when I was a child, 'graduating' from riding the NYC subways to Long Island RR trains was going "long distance".....

 

[BCL]

possible definitions:

Longer than the shortest air trip. If you include travel to the airport, arriving early to get through security, the actual flight, collecting your baggage at the other end, and clearing the airport, the shortest flight takes 4 hours. IMO.

There's a lot of those steps on an LD train. Maybe not security (yet). There's a recommended time (45 min) before the arrival to check in luggage. And the one time I was waiting for my luggage it took maybe 25 minutes. And how short is short? United used to have SFO-OAK in revenue service.

Strangely enough I didn't hear check-in luggage as perhaps something that defines a long-distance train. However, I suppose you can check in luggage on some non-overnight routes like San Joaquin or Pacific Surfliner. Even a short route like the Hiawatha.

 

[jebr]

That being said, it's a lot easier to get by without checking luggage on Amtrak than it is on the airlines. It's also very possible to arrive much closer than the recommended time; much like the airlines recommended time, it's meant as a buffer so that all travelers can generally make it comfortably through the process. I've almost always been less than two hours early to a flight, and while I try to arrive a bit early for the train I'm not worried if I'm arriving to the station 10 minutes before the train is supposed to arrive. (While I've cut some flights close, I'm not going to try cutting them that close.)

 

[BCL]

That being said, it's a lot easier to get by without checking luggage on Amtrak than it is on the airlines. It's also very possible to arrive much closer than the recommended time; much like the airlines recommended time, it's meant as a buffer so that all travelers can generally make it comfortably through the process. I've almost always been less than two hours early to a flight, and while I try to arrive a bit early for the train I'm not worried if I'm arriving to the station 10 minutes before the train is supposed to arrive. (While I've cut some flights close, I'm not going to try cutting them that close.)

I generally don't cut it so close, but I have taken someone to the airport after the theoretical cutoff time. The agent said they'd try, but if it didn't get on the plane they'd send it on the next flight to the same destination.

Strangely enough I got there early because I was worried about the 45 minute "requirement" for checked in luggage. Then I heard last call to check in luggage about 12 minutes before departure.

 

[Thirdrail7]

I'm pretty sure it's any train with sleepers. For a while I was thinking low train numbers, but that's not necessarily it.

From strictly an operational and mechanical point of view, an intercity long distance train is a passenger train that provides service between large cities more than 125 miles apart and is not operated exclusively on Amtrak’s NEC.

 

[Palmetto]

That leaves out the Hiawatha Service, then.

 

[NorthShore]

But Chi-Stl or Chi-Ind would be long distance? That just doesn't seem right.

 

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

To me the number of hours isn't the only judge. I kind of consider overnight hours sleep hours. I'm sure some nights I have slept better than others. But let's say my train takes 18 hours from PHL to CHI (assuming there is one). Between midnight and 7am (roughly), I'm (if I can) sleeping. Even if I can't sleep, it's not like I would plan to do anything during those hours anyway. If I had to take a train 18 hours between 6am ET and 11pm CT, I "lose" 18 hours. But make it 3pm ET to 8am CT, I've only "lost" 11 hours instead of 18. If I actually did fly and had to go from LA to the east coast, my first choice would always be the red eye so I can (try to) sleep on it. It makes the time go faster IMO.

When I was in California, I took the Thruway from San Jose to Santa Barbara followed by a Pacific Surfliner to the LA area overnight rather than take the Coast Starlight. Ideally they would have an overnight train between the LA and Bay Areas rather than have to give up virtually your entire day taking the CS. Add that to my insanely long wish list.