I thought the thread that was locked was very interesting. It was definatly a railroad related isssue, But I understand that it has alot of potential to become a negitive thread… What would be the best way to go into a discussion on that topic without it becoming a political argument? The post with links to both parties where very informative as to what they see in the future of transportation in America.
Hi Dave,
I wish I could have seen the thread you’re referring to. It’s unfortunate that some Amtrak related threads go into “meltdown” mode. Unfortunately, since the day it was created Amtrak has been and will likely be a political hot potato.
I’ve read and heard countless pros and cons regarding the service. Speaking only for myself, I’m glad that Amtrak is still around and inspite of the brick slamming criticisms of its detractors, (respectfully including forum members here) it’s great to see that ridership on medium AND long distance trains has increased. Many of those riders are not railfans either. IMHO what’s significant about that, especially here on the east coast south of the NEC, is that we have fewer trains running now than we did back in the early 80s. Add to that they’re shorter in length. (No more 15 car Silver Meteors).
Will I use the service? Absolutely! My last flight on South West Airlines was worse than what a passenger riding the Penn Central in the late 60s had to endure.