Who is John Galt?
I have never ridden on Amtrak. However, I have ridden in many trains in Europe. They are pretty nice if you want to go for a short couple hour trip. Amtrak might get some traction if they make it more luxurious and have it for the wealthy. Just a thought. Right now everyone pretty much thinks that Amtrak is for the poor or lower middle class people and won’t ride them. Same with the buses. Who wants to ride on a bus or train with some smelly people right next to you.
I see they’re meeting on High speed rail this week in Ann Arbor. (LaHood, Stabenow, Levin, and I assume Governor Snyder)
I love train travel......in Europe.
In America it is dreadful.
Not a complete failure.
Leftists and liberals will be sure to use its “business model” to fund the socialist medicine they are cramming down the throats of a protesting America.
Who is John Galt?
We already have an interstate highway system. Our country is too geographically large for passenger trains to make sense, except for perhaps regional travel. Even then, why ride on a damn train when you can use your car?
20 years ago we rode the amtrak train from Jacksonville to New York city.
It was an “interesting” 13 hour ride.
Amtrak trains and inner city busses all smell the same. Like urine. When I was in Europe in the 90’s I rode city trains and international trains. Those were really fun and amazing even the long trip from Mannheim to Vicenza was relaxing and beautiful. Of course the trains there do NOT smell like outhouses.
Had the distinct opportunity to experience Amtrak in Charlotte, NC. /s Not an experience to be relished.
I took the Acela once, from DC to NYC when I didn’t feel like driving up there. It was a bit pricey, but it was comfortable, clean, pleasant and surprisingly fast. It dropped me off at the rabbit warren Penn Station. I got on the subway and finished the trip.
I’d prefer to see business running railroads and not the Federal government, but I did enjoy the trip. Amtrak did let me down though- I waited in Alexandria, VA for HOURS for a train to get to Union Station in DC. I finally gave up and took the Metro (which I should have planned to do in the first place) and hopped on the next available Acela.
“Hey, Marge! I’m comin’ up to visit you and the young’uns! Yep! Taking the train! See you in about a week and a half!”
Many years ago I took a trip via VIA (Canadian Rail) from Ottawa to Montreal. Very relaxing two hours. Clean and comfortable.
Second leg of that trip was Montreal to NYC via Amtrak. Dirtiest, slowest, most uncomfortable 24 hours of my life. Raise the price, get rid of the riff-raff!
A lot of capital equipment in Amtrack. Sell it ALL off, let private carriers fix it.
Oh, wait, that won’t ever happen. Too much money (ie, corruption) for the politicians...
I just don't think Americans will give up personal transportation in favor of mass transportation for a long long time..
I took the train in middle 1960’s from Northeast Mississippi to NYC, cured me of train travel.
Every one of you attempting to ‘derail’ the economic viability of a national rail network on the grounds of our population density vs geographic area is ignoring one crucial fact: The majority of the US population occupies the West/East coasts, the East coast being the most densely populated. Therefore the economic viability of a coastal rail network on each coast, with cross-country interlinks is quite high.
If they could succeed in getting us all to move back to cities and ride the gubmint trains their collectivist dream would be achievable. Taxing us by the mile would make that dream a reality.
CAFE works against that dream, and they don't even know it. CAFE has driven down the cost per mile driven, thereby requiring more and more subsidies to keep AMTRAK afloat.