Posted on 04/19/2010 3:14:14 PM PDT by Willie Green
NEW YORK - After idling for decades, train travel in the United States, while not quite out of the station, is beginning to work up a healthy head of steam.
And experts say that is thanks largely to the mounting hassles and tacked-on costs of traveling by air.
"The airlines are prompting a renewed interest in rail travel," said Margie Jordan, CEO of ASAP Travel, based in Jacksonville, Florida.
"Clients paying extra for checked bags, carry-on bags, blankets, pillows, headsets, food, drinks and, in the case of Ryanair, even to use the toilet, are looking for a less expensive option," she said. "It’s nice to see the resurgence of a travel experience that had seemingly lost its luster."
Even though the pre-World War II glory days of Art Deco dining cars and streamline sophistication are long gone, Ypartnership, a travel marketing company, found that nine percent of leisure travelers reported having taken at least one train trip during the past year.
That’s a hefty increase from the four-to-six percent of previous years, according to CEO Peter Yesawich. And it includes more young people.
"Traditionally train travel has been favored by the older population," he said. "But it appears to be gaining among millennials and gen-Xers. That’s a surprising observation."
Not surprising is why.
"Last year one out of five commercial flights were delayed or cancelled," he said. "And you’re far more likely to get stuck in a middle seat because planes are flying so full."
He added that if quality rail travel was more available, more comfortable and more convenient people would opt out of other forms of transport.
(Excerpt) Read more at montrealgazette.com ...
All we need now is a company to build a national mag-lev train network!
I was commuting from Los Angeles to San Diego for 6 or 7 months and almost always took the train. Doorstep to doorstep it was faster than flying and I could bring my own beer, have liquids and metal stuff (no X-ray machines) and use my cell phone, both as a modem for my computer and just to talk.
And I would go Business Class (confirmed seating and a snack) for about $12 more — round trip!
I loved it — I wish I could do it for my cross-country traveling!
I hate to sound like a greenie but maybe certain businesses should rely more heavily on internet/phone and people in general are going to have to reduce their reliance on super fast air travel (increasingly not as fast lol) Not for enviro reasons, of course, but because the tickets aren’t particularly cheap anymore except to certain places as parts of packages and it’s just become an enormous government-subsidized hassle.
Wow, Willy is still selling trains?
Trains are great if you don’t mind waiting longer, and if you don’t have the money to pay to drive.
I’d much rather drive. See the country. :) One of these days I’ll travel I-35 from Minnesota down to TX.
I still commute on the train every day between LA and OC and have been doing so every weekday for the past year or so.
Now that I am retired, I drive everywhere. My wife and I drove from Tucson to Orlando for a meeting instead of flying. It was fantastic. The people we met were the salt of the earth, the food along the Gulf Coast was so good we wanted to stay a few more days. I understand why folks must fly but the airlines have made it a real chore.
I had to go speak at a convention in LA in 1997. Of course, I was gonna fly - then I thought why not the train ???
I got a 30-day rail pass for about $300 and booked the deluxe room for about $1200. Private room, bath, AND meals for 10 days on the train [DC-Chicago-Seattle-LA-New Orleans-DC]. My employer allowed me to work from my train room, so I did not use up vacation time.
The room was as good as a hotel, food was excellent, no jet lag, got to see the country - all in all GREAT !!!
Back in the late Sixties/early Seventies, I really enjoyed takin’ the train from Milwaukee to Chicago for a weekend of prowlin’ the Blues clubs! Best bud was a Summertime Brakeman, and got me tickets free or dirt cheap.
The market will figure that out. I have the Internet on about 30% of my flights, but am hoping for better.
But my most expensive flights are about 2 or 3 billable hours so the numbers will probably work for quite some time.
But if I could go back the train I would -- and to keep the airlines "honest" is a great reason to do so.
Well then, Ben, why not go first class???
In other news, Vinyl sales are up while CD sales are down. Don’t expect vinyl to be more than a “temporary curiosity” though. I say that as someone that owns over a thousand records and very much enjoys listening to them.
I am fully aware that it is a nastalga thing, and I think a lot of it with the trains is as well. Trains as slow and expensive. At the end of the day, that is all you are left with.
>>I’d much rather drive. <<
Try the 405 from LA to San Diego or the I-95 between Richmond and DC. Those words will never pass your lips again.
Thankfully I travel in civilized places. Do they offer safaris in those jungles?
Yeah, America is such a beautiful country. I miss it terribly.
If they would pay me I’d be glad to drive the Oscar Meyer weiner and be an ambassador for them.
Worked as a pizza delivery driver for years.
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