Amtrak

[LE Greys]

I'm going to the USA next month, and will do quite a bit of travelling around on Amtrak. I'd be interested in anyone else's experience of doing something similar, so that I know what to expect.

It didn't get off to a good start. I had a lot of trouble booking the tickets on-line, because it wouldn't let me fill anything in without a North American postal address. In the end, I had to go to a travel agent, who charged £35 commission. VIA Rail don't seem to mind, I've booked on-line from them before. It does seem a bit odd.

 

[Old Timer]

Be prepared for possible extensive delays and late running.

Although Amtrak now have tighter Contracts with the various freight railroads, operational delays on the long-haul services are notorious.

 

[jamesontheroad]

I've done a tonne of travel around the States on Amtrak and Canada on VIA Rail... most in and out of Montréal where I used to live, however the highlight of my time there was a one month North America Rail Pass adventure in April/May 2006. I kept a diary on the journey, and published it in real time as a blog:

http://jamesbrownontherails.blogspot.com/

Two points to note: it's a blog, so it reads backwards (annoying, and I can't find a satisfactory way to change that) and it's also huuuuge

My intinerary was Montréal - Schenectady - Chicago - Denver - San Francisco - Santa Barbara - Seattle - Vancouver - Edmonton - Winnipeg - Churchill - Winnipeg - Toronto - Montréal - Halifax - Montréal. I got to try Amtrak's north-eastern Amfleet carriages and their long distance Superliners, as well as VIA Rail's impeccably restored fifties-era stainless steel Budd carriages.

On Amtrak - expect delays on any long distance train. Best arrival was ~ 30 minutes late, worst was six hours. The on board food is not great either; the chefs basically re-heat plated food rather than cook to order, which is a great loss. If you're in 'coach' (economy) you'll get a big reclining seat about the size of a old fashioned business class airline seat, with loads of legroom and plenty of recline. However a blanket, eye mask, neck pillow and ear plugs may be helpful to get some sleep. Take snacks too, as I got pretty bored of Amtrak's catering.

There's loads on the blog, but I'm happy to answer specific questions. Otherwise I recommend you join the American equivalent of this forum at http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/ ... the friendly railfans over there will help you out.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[subway156]

It's true, short hops are much more agreeable on The Trak. They do have some nice equipment here and there. I travelled from Philadelphia to North Carolina in 1997. The carriages were from the 1970's and they smelled. he seats were ugly and greasy. The train had to run through Richmond, Virginia on leased freight roads and they were slow. The cars on the nearby highway flew by us. If you have time, take it easy and go. As a resident American, I'll usually drive my PTCruiser near to my destination and take public transit. Canadian railroads are the real thing. AMTRAK, which is government funded, is a shadow of rail travel. It's not all bad, but you buy your ticket and you take your chances.

 

[Greenback]

It's true, short hops are much more agreeable on The Trak. They do have some nice equipment here and there. I travelled from Philadelphia to North Carolina in 1997. The carriages were from the 1970's and they smelled. he seats were ugly and greasy. The train had to run through Richmond, Virginia on leased freight roads and they were slow. The cars on the nearby highway flew by us. If you have time, take it easy and go. As a resident American, I'll usually drive my PTCruiser near to my destination and take public transit. Canadian railroads are the real thing. AMTRAK, which is government funded, is a shadow of rail travel. It's not all bad, but you buy your ticket and you take your chances.

Outside of the North East Washington- New York - Boston area Amtrak is very different from European railways. Nobody in the US would take the train because of speed! However, it is a great way to see the country if you have a bit of time to spare!

When I travelled in the US, I found the trains through the midwest to be roomy and comfortable. They are also a greatw ay to socialise with people who, for one reason or another, don't want to fly. As long as anyone approaches an Amtrak journey remembers these few things, they should have a good time!

 

[Techniquest]

Hiya jamesontheroad,

Just been reading through your blog, didn't notice that the page linked to was only part of the trip, now looking through the April 2006 archive for the bits prior to that lot.

Query though: April's archive starts with train 5 at Denver. Is there not more before this bit then?

 

[jamesontheroad]

Hiya jamesontheroad,

Just been reading through your blog, didn't notice that the page linked to was only part of the trip, now looking through the April 2006 archive for the bits prior to that lot.

Query though: April's archive starts with train 5 at Denver. Is there not more before this bit then?

There is, sorry. I had real problems with Blogger and this blog... the settings should have all the posts on one page, but it still doesn't work.

I've tweaked the archiving function so that it has no archived each day's posts. Revisit the blog and you'll find the travelogue published day by day in the right hand column. Thanks for pointing this out!

 

[LE Greys]

Thanks for the advice, I'll let you know how it went in July. I'm looking forward to it.

 

[Techniquest]

A bit off-topic, but I recommend reading jamesontheroad's blog. I've enjoyed what I've read thus far and still have a large chunk to read shortly.

Although I have no fixed plans to ever make it to the USA, I found it contained some useful travel tips in it and formed a chance for those of us who've never been on American rails, a chance to see what they are actually like.

 

[WatcherZero]

Again its offtopic but always bugged me, Was Network Rails logo (2002) intentionally copying the new Amtrak logo (2000)?

 

[Vulcan]

haha, I never noticed that before!

Network rail logo also looks similar to the Budget car rental logo, I think:

sorry, this is well off topic.

 

[tripleseis]

Some European companies have taken a leaf from BR's logo too.

 

[jopsuk]

the "tracks" motif is, to be fair, a resonably obvious one for a railway company

 

[b0b]

If you're in Chicago and feel like a day trip somewhere in the area, you should check out Metra. I use it for my daily commute and its very cheap and very pleasant. The service has priority over freight and uses very comfortable air-conditioned bi-level cars pulled by diesel locomotives. I was on one the other day that was clagging pretty nicely though that is fairly rare

Also Chicago is the hub for freight so if that's your thing.

There is also the South Shore line, which is a long distance commuter electrified line, best noted for being inter-urban through Michigan City IN, where trains are equal to cars at four-way stops. It's a unique experience to have to stop at a 4 way stop and wait your turn. Probably not worth it though in terms of a holiday rail-fanning trip.

 

[90019]

There is also the South Shore line, which is a long distance commuter electrified line, best noted for being inter-urban through Michigan City IN, where trains are equal to cars at four-way stops. It's a unique experience to have to stop at a 4 way stop and wait your turn. Probably not worth it though in terms of a holiday rail-fanning trip.

If it's that sort of thing, then I think Jack London Square in Oaklahoma is worth a visit, with a mainline railway running down the main street