Train 40-41 Floridian Miami - Chicago via Washington DC 2025

[ScotiaBound]

Not strange at all. They obviously work overnight to service the Palmetto, so, easy to service the Floridian while on duty.

Got it.

 

[Cal]

I think that's because it's the origin and people want a chance to settle in. Intermediate stations they tend to do it earlier.

The beds are set down for #2/422 out of LA.

 

[TrainAttendantLady]

Might see you in a couple of months. ;-)

Looking forward to it!

 

[CraigInNC]

I am traveling on the Floridian (Silver Star) from TPA to CYN on March 5. It looks packed, as rooms are costly this late. I have not traveled on this service in two years, and the last time I did so, I was in a new Viewliner without in-room toilets.

I'm looking forward to seeing how things have changed. Over the last two years, I've traveled on day trains.

 

[Qapla]

Have a good trip. I see what you are saying about the cost. The 15th train is sold out, but the prices for the next day are:


At that price difference and only a 15-hour trip, I'm afraid I would have to ride coach ...

 

[brianh]

We just rode 41 from SAV to TPA today (friday feb 21) and had a pretty smooth ride in coach. All the stops were on time and maybe TPA was 15 minutes late getting in. We have ridden a combination of buses and trains from VAC to SBA to ELP to NOL to ATL to SAV to TPA. The Amtrak staff have been great. On today’s ride there didn’t seem to be enough staff for the number of passengers so the communication wasn’t as good as on all the previous trains. The dining room attendant was great—he suggested taking out breakfast as Amtrak only allowed him a maximum amount of diners at a time. Thanks again!

 

[Sidney]

Have a good trip. I see what you are saying about the cost. The 15th train is sold out, but the prices for the next day are:
View attachment 39180

At that price difference and only a 15-hour trip, I'm afraid I would have to ride coach ...

$666 for an overnight ride? Totally outrageous. But people will pay it so Amtrak will charge it.

 

[Harmon Shay]

But the fact that people will pay it doesn't make it right. To me it just strengthens the case for regulating Amtrak. We can thank Jimmy Carter's disastrous (in terms of transportation, at least) Presidency for out-of-control yield management in transportation and unfortunately, it looks like we're stuck with his bad policies forever in both rail and air.

 

[railiner]

But the fact that people will pay it doesn't make it right. To me it just strengthens the case for regulating Amtrak. We can thank Jimmy Carter's disastrous (in terms of transportation, at least) Presidency for out-of-control yield management in transportation and unfortunately, it looks like we're stuck with his bad policies forever in both rail and air.

Deregulation was a two edged sword…sometimes you score a giveaway fare, other times you get gouged.
To me, the worst result was the elimination of air, rail, and bus service, to marginal routes or locations…

 

[NEPATrainTraveler]

When I see roomettes go for high prices like $666, I think to myself..."was overnight coach really that bad?", LOL

 

[JWM]

When I see roomettes go for high prices like $666, I think to myself..."was overnight coach really that bad?", LOL

I think of Soutwest out of Midway.

 

[NEPATrainTraveler]

I think of Soutwest out of Midway.

Yeah, I think about taking Southwest too sometimes. Orange line from MDW to the loop is much shorter than the Blue line from ORD to the loop. Plus, Southwest allows for 2 free checked bags.

 

[zephyr17]

Deregulation was a two edged sword…sometimes you score a giveaway fare, other times you get gouged.
To me, the worst result was the elimination of air, rail, and bus service, to marginal routes or locations…

Intercity rail service suffered virtually all cuts in routes and service while still heavily regulated by the Interstate Commerce Commission, and state commissions for intra-state services. All discontinuation petitions had to be approved by those bodies and most were, though some after protracted fights and multiple petitions like WP's multiple year struggle to discontinue its portion of the California Zephyr.

Amtrak was granted an exception to regulatory approval in the Rail Passenger Act of 1970 as long as they provided a 6 month notice of discontinuation. They exercised that in the 1979 "Carter cuts", the mid 1990s cuts and one offs such as the Kentucky Cardinal and Janesville Flyer.

Technically, they are still subject to the 6 month rule, though the ICC is long gone and the STB had no authority over Amtrak's choice of routes. Though Amtrak did go rogue with the continued "suspension" of the Sunset East after CSX notified them the line was back in service a few months after Katrina, which was prima facie illegal under the establishing Act.

While I do not disagree with your general point about deregulation, elimination of passenger rail service mostly happened under regulation.

 

[Septa9739]

But the fact that people will pay it doesn't make it right. To me it just strengthens the case for regulating Amtrak. We can thank Jimmy Carter's disastrous (in terms of transportation, at least) Presidency for out-of-control yield management in transportation and unfortunately, it looks like we're stuck with his bad policies forever in both rail and air.

If sleepers are a premium accommodation, why shouldn’t the railroad charge what it can get for them? Money needs to come from somewhere and Congress is only going to start looking for low hanging fruit. I’d rather Amtrak charge those sorts of rates to people who can and will pay them than raise coach fares to find more revenue. A financially stable Amtrak is bad for no one and sleepers are a key part of how to get there. Nobody seems to get upset when Acela first class gets quite expensive.

If the ICC would have worked with the roads a little bit in the 50’s, the disasters of the 60’s could have been greatly mitigated. Over regulation can be every bit as calamitous as under regulation.

 

[pennyk]

FYI, today's train 40 had 2 sleepers, both of which were Viewliner 1s.

 

[railiner]

Intercity rail service suffered virtually all cuts in routes and service while still heavily regulated by the Interstate Commerce Commission, and state commissions for intra-state services. All discontinuation petitions had to be approved by those bodies and most were, though some after protracted fights and multiple petitions like WP's multiple year struggle to discontinue its portion of the California Zephyr.

Amtrak was granted an exception to regulatory approval in the Rail Passenger Act of 1970 as long as they provided a 6 month notice of discontinuation. They exercised that in the 1979 "Carter cuts", the mid 1990s cuts and one offs such as the Kentucky Cardinal and Janesville Flyer.

Technically, they are still subject to the 6 month rule, though the ICC is long gone and the STB had no authority over Amtrak's choice of routes. Though Amtrak did go rogue with the continued "suspension" of the Sunset East after CSX notified them the line was back in service a few months after Katrina, which was prima facie illegal under the establishing Act.

While I do not disagree with your general point about deregulation, elimination of passenger rail service mostly happened under regulation.

The slow decline in rail passenger services that began in the early 20th century, except the brief war years booms, were nothing like what happened on May 1, 1971. It was more like a “rationalization”. Mostly as a result of increased automobile ownership and use, as well as the launch of the “jet age”.

One thing that was lost with deregulation, was the cross-subsidizing of marginal or losing services, with exclusive rights to lucrative ones. Now taxpayers make up the difference, in some cases.

 

[John Bredin]

If sleepers are a premium accommodation, why shouldn’t the railroad charge what it can get for them? Money needs to come from somewhere and Congress is only going to start looking for low hanging fruit. I’d rather Amtrak charge those sorts of rates to people who can and will pay them than raise coach fares to find more revenue. A financially stable Amtrak is bad for no one and sleepers are a key part of how to get there. Nobody seems to get upset when Acela first class gets quite expensive.

Moreover, absent more sleepers and coaches, setting a "reasonable fare" instead of charging as much as the market will bear would merely result in trains selling out pretty much as soon as inventory opened for sale.

Frozen out of a sleeper by people snapping up "cheap" sleepers is just as frozen out as being priced out. Or stated another way, instead of sleepers snapped up by those most willing to pay more, we'd have sleepers snapped up by those most willing to commit to the farthest-out travel dates.

 

[Harmon Shay]

Deregulation was a two edged sword…sometimes you score a giveaway fare, other times you get gouged.
To me, the worst result was the elimination of air, rail, and bus service, to marginal routes or locations…

Definitely agreed on the unfortunate elimination of air, rail and bus service to marginal locations. To me that double-edged fare sword isn't worth it, but that may just be me. I'd re-regulate, at least partially.