Nothing to do with trains, planes, or automobiles but Ulrichs comment reminds me of a story.
A British officer was home on leave from the Western Front during World War One. At his club a friend asked “So, what’s it like at the front, old chap?” “Simply awful, dear boy!” was the reply. “The noise! And the PEOPLE!”
And Ulrich, you nailed it when you mentioned people’s lack of hygene. I once sat for three hours on a plane in front of some guy with coughing jags and the worst case of buffalo fart breath I’ve ever experienced. I was ready to ask the flight attendant for a parachute so I could get some fresh air and then walk the rest of the way home.
I look at train travel as an end in itself, not as point A to B transportation. My fondest rail experiences occurred while travelling back and forth between Quebec and BC on the Canadian back in the 80s. Efficient transportation it wasn’t… but from a life experience perspective it was invaluable. Why do I remember those and not the numerous bus, car, and plane trips I took? That says something.
I’m going to follow Fred Frailey’s suggestion and take the Canadian in January. Fewer passengers, and the prospect of seeing this great land in its winter splendor excites me. Although this time 'round I’ll get a roomette, maybe two if the wife and kids come along. No more coach seating for 3000 miles.
About half the time in ATL it’s less than 10 minutes. The other half, it’s 10-20 minutes. Still, from the time you arrive at the airport to the time you’re at the gate is in the 45 minutes to one hour range and the airline want you at the gate 30 minutes before they close the door.
At the other end, if you’re in the back half of the plane, it can take quite a while for the 100 people ahead of you to wrangle their carry-on and get off the plane.
Recently drove from Phila to Atlanta on a Sat and Sun. It wasn’t quite that pleasant. On a Saturday afternoon, I-95 south was moving, but packed. No chance for cruise control all the way down to Frederickburg VA. Lost about 15 minutes due to traffic congestion. Not a fun drive - and this wasn’t even a peak time. Sunday, Fredericksburg to Richmond, was not easy, neither was Durham to Greensboro. No cruise control there, either. Greensboro NC to Anderson SC was tolerable. Anderson to Atlanta was okay except for a wreck with a 15 mile backup that we detoured around.
It’s easy to see why the NEC works so well and why NEC extensions are a good “next place” to invest.
When I was young, at least in Pennsylvania, each county had a county home. It was for people who did not have it all together. Unfortunately, most if not all of them were closed.
Based on my experiences in coach on the Texas Eagle, which I only do between Taylor and Dallas, it appears that some of the folks who would have been housed in the country home are riding coach class on Amtrak’s long distance trains.
Having said that, I have met some very nice people in the coaches on the Texas Eagle. Unfortunately, it is the nut cases that stick in my mind.
Traffic congestion is a major issue, and it is likely to get worse. In Texas congestion along the I-35 corridor gets worse year by year. If there is a wreck traffic backs up for miles, and it can take a seeming long time to get through.
Whether improved train service along the I-35 corridor in Texas would entice more people out of their cars is unknown. The transportation planners and policy makers apparently believe the answer is to improve I-35, which they are doing. They are rebuilding it from the Mexican to Oklahoma boarders and beyond. Getting people out of their cars and onto public transport in Texas will be a major challenge.
I always sit at the back of the plane, and I have been known to grumble about the time it takes to get off it. However, when I actually check the time required to exit the plane, it usually takes no more than five minutes after the door is opened. Of course, getting off a 747 takes a bit longer than getting off a 737. The same phenomenon occurs when I am stuck in a traffic jam. It always seems longer than it is.
The argument is always that the train is slower which is true except for the NEC and SoCal compared to automobile. With the present addition ( slowly ) of other trains the ability to connect to other trains is growing. It takes time to allow persons to adapt to that convenience. Once a route can be upgraded to 110 - 125 MPH between stations then those few persons that can make it faster will be attracted. Just going from 0.1% to 1% travelers by train will overwhelm the present routes and schedules. IMO the auto was able to displace the RRs because many persons could go faster by auto than RR. What is worse is that still applies to today except for the NEC. When NYP - WASH of 2 hours and NYP - BOS of 3 hours then expect rail ridership to explode. Time line ? probably not before 2050 ?
When I lived in DC, I often traveled to New York (Manhattan or Brooklyn) By automobile it took about six hours due to congestion. The shuttle from National to LaGuardia took one hour before 9/11 and TSA but getting to and from the airports took two hours, at least that was what you had to plan. Amtrak took just under four hurs. More than once I took part in a “race”, one by air one by train.no one won more than half the time. Since TSA entered the picture by air, and ground congestion has gotten worse at both airports and Amtrack has speede up, there’s no contest. The proof of the pudding is that the number of people taking the Shuttle is down and the number of people taking the train is up. Distance from NYP to WAS is 225 miles.
Downtown Washington, D.C. to Manhattan, at least for most points, is quicker by train, especially the Acela, than by air. But what is the better option for someone going to Westchester County or Long Island?
Amtrak touts the fact that it carries more passengers between NYC and Washington than commercial air. But what percentage of the total travel market, i.e. train, air, bus, and motor vehicle, does it have?
According to the NY Times, "BoltBus and MegaBus, two downtown, curbside services in the Northeast, have increased ridership since they began operating in 2008. The buses generally make the New York-to-Washington run in four and a half hours and offer free Wi-Fi. Tickets range from $1 to $40, far less than Amtrak or the airlines.
I have taken the BoltBus from Baltimore to NYC. It is not the same as riding the Acela, but it sure is easier on the pocketbook. The ride was comfortable and on-time.
Research suggests that they are eating into Amtrak’s market share. According to a study by the Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development at DePaul University, 34 percent of bus riders said they would have taken Amtrak
For trips under about 500 miles, the automobile was and is often faster because the trip is door to door (origin to destination) not station to station. In many cases station to station is faster only works if the origin and destination of the trip are very close to the stations. This applies to air travel too. People in rural and in most suburban areas will continue to find the auto faster, and more convenient, and often less expensive. If two or more people are traveling together the cost to drive is may be less than the cost of train fares. Also if one need to take things with them the auto may be the better choice. Of course the availability of reasonable cost parking at each end of the trip is also a factor to be considered. No mode of transportation is better than the other in all circumstances. Even Acela in the NE corridor is not always faster. In a thread on this forum some years ago a poster told a funny story of dropping a friend off at a train station, then, for the heck of it, driving to the friends destination, arriving in time to pick him up.
You guy should consider getting a pilot’s license and buying a small plane. I regularly fly with a friend, and in 3 1/2 hours can fly from the Detroit area to Richmond, VA; no TSA hassles and don’t have to be at the airport hours ahead of flight time. [:D]
And heaven help us when one of these cowboys in the sky loses it and crashes into one of our houses (again). The air will become more interesting yet with the addition of drones. The end of drones, I think, will be the first collision with a commercial jetliner. Before that, good ol’ boys will have a lot of fun shooting at moving targets instead of road signs.
At the risk of getting off topic, the media’s “If it bleeds, it leads” philosophy makes general aviation seem much worse than it truly is. They pick on aircraft incidents purely for shock value.
I made several trips the past year from NW Indiana to Oklahoma City, flying 2x and driving 4 times. The mileage was 830 miles and quite frankly the car trip was just fine. You gotta figure a full day of travel either way. Car gives me flexibility to stop and see customers on the way and the unreliability of air service this winter was the deciding factor.
A bit off-topic, but Oltmannd mentioned traffic problems on I-95 on a trip from Philly to Atlanta. I’m assuming he had most of his troubles in the Northern Virginia area. There’s road construction going on there and will be for the forseeable future so I-95 from Quantico north to Alexandria is a mess, both ways.
So if you’re heading south this is what I’d do. Take I-95 south to Route 896 in Delaware which will lead you to Route 301 south.Typically 301’s traffic is pretty light except for some traffic light slowdowns in Bowie and Upper Marlboro MD which can be annoying but are tolerable. The only toll you’ll pay southbound is on the Potomac River bridge which is $6.00. Continue south on 301 then get on Route 207 in the Bowling Green area. This will take you straight to I-95 at Ruther Glen.
This route takes you completely away from Baltimore and Washington traffic and you also avoid that construction area I mentioned. From Ruther Glen south there’s usually no serious problems. Heading north just reverse what I said.
Assuming things were perfect on I-95 the 301 route would usually add only a half-hour to a northbound or southbound trip. The trouble is, things ain’t perfect on I-95 anymore. So I avoid 95 totally now, in Northern Virginia anyway.
Lady Firestorm and I just did this last week heading to a wedding in Collegeville PA, so it works.