When was the last time you were a passenger on Amtrak? How often do you ride it?
My only trip on Amtrak was from Atlanta to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl in 1983. It was a very good experience. But the route structure and travel time being as they are has made Amtrak irrelevant in my travels.
Jay
Once, in 1998, took at trip down to Seattle on the Cascade Talgo from Vancouver. I do ride VIA Rail out of Victoria on the E&N all the time.
I take Amtrak a few times a year form Martinez, CA. to Eugene, Or. In the next few years I plan on taking the CZ to Denver, and the Builder to Montana, as well as the Starlight to LA. That is if Amtrak is still around. All three of those routes are beautiful, and a joy to ride.
Brad
Once, from Altoona to Pittsburgh and back. It was ok and we actually came into Pittsburgh seven minutes ahead of schedule despite the train having been quite delayed (something like 20 minutes) prior to my boarding it, which is a short story on its own. I won’t be doing it again. The price and travel time aren’t advantageous to me. It was kinda fun though.
at least once a year
Last year travelled Philadelphia - Ft.Lauderdale with wife and two grandkids
from there took a cruise, then back on Amtrak to Orlando (Disneyland,
then back to Philly. We had two economy bedrooms except of course
coach Ft.Lauderdale to Orlando
This year hope to take trip Philly=Wash Wash-Chi Chi-Seattle
Seattle-Vancouver Will be second time this route
Last time on the above route Customer Svces asked if I wanted to
try my return trip on The Pioneer which was great This was just
before they discontinued the Pioneer.
Other trips Philly to L.A. of SW Chief
Philly-Chicago-Dallas Quite a few trips Philly-Ft,Lauderdal
Several trips Montreal-Philly
Living in Ontario, Why do we make all our trips from Philly ???
We have a small dog & no one here to look after it, so we loan it to our daughter.
Why not travel VIA to Vancouver ??? Fare is much cheaper and prefer scenery
on Amtrak as VIA goes thru majestic Canadian rockies at nite
Have taken CPR route Montreal-Vcr on CPR 8 times. Maybe one day will try CN route.
bought tickets last night for a trip from Philly to Texas (Cardinal/Texas Eagle). First Amtrak trip in a couple of years.
dd
My family is taken Amtrak 41 from Latrobe to Chicago then on the Southwest Chief to Needles then on to Las Vegas, Next Week Feb.17 leave. also go alot to Atlantic City, NJ about 5 or 6 times year on Amtrak. I can’t wait for next week to come so I will Win Big in Las Vegas.[:D][:)]
I try to get on an Amtrak Superliner Equipped train once a year, Texas Eagle, City of New Orleans mostly… Last time I rode Amtrak was in July of 2004 to Chicago from Poplar Bluff and back on the Texas Eagle.
Several Times a year- NC to either DC or NY area, usually on Crescent or Carolinian. Piedmont to Raleigh on Business occasionally.
My first trip on Amtrak was on the Broadway Limited CHI-PHIL-CHI in 1972, right after the train was referbished for the first time. Rode the Broadway a number of times over the years, including one of the last trips in a room in Monroe Harbor, an ex- NYC car.
Rode once on the Three Rivers CHI-PHIL-CHI.
Most recent trip was on the Auto Train to Florida.
Took several trips Chicago-Florida via NY or Philadelphia or Washington
For a college graduation present for myself, bought a railpass and did a 2 week double western round trip: CHI-Oakland-LA-CHI-Portland-LA-San Antionio-CHI
Worked for Amtrak during my college years: worked trips from Chicago to NY(Lake Shore Ltd), New Orleans, LA with training trips to Salt Lake City and Glasgow, MT.
Over the years did trips to Detroit, St. Louis, Indianpolis, Milwaukee.
Have ridden most of the Amtrak system. Exceptions are:
Washington-New Orleans
Jacksonville-San Antonio
Los Angeles-San Diego
Chicago-Florida via Floridian
Minneapolis-Seattle via North Coast Hiawatha
NY-Montreal via Montrealer
I may go on a trip from here (Poplar Bluff, MO) to San Antonio-LA-Seattle-Chicago-Here sometime this summer…lotta pix if I do!
I used to travel on Amtrak quite often in my college years but now that I am older time matters and the rest of my family aren’t so enthusiastic about taking 3 days to cross the country. The trips I have taken in the past are
Seattle - Chicago (both directions) via the Empire Builder (multiple times)
Chicago - Seattle via the Pioneer
Seattle - LA (several times)
LA - Orlando via the Sunset Limited (several times)
Chicago - New York via Lake Shore Limited (a couple of times)
New York - Chicago via the Broadway Limited
Florida - New York (a couple of times)
Washington DC - Chicago via the Capitol Limited
Washington DC - Chicago via the Cardinal
Montreal - New York via the Vermonter
Seattle-Vancouver (several times)
The majority of the time the trains arrived late (ranging from 30 minutes to 6 hours). However, I noticed that regardless of whether the train arrived ontime or late it seemed that it was the attitude of the crew that made the biggest difference whether passengers in general had a positive or negative experience on Amtrak.
As little as possible. The trains take too long. Last October my wife and I went to San Antonio and Dallas, TX (We also went to FT Worth where she rode a steer)
There were two ways to go from Rockville to San Antonio, and both took 55 hours if they were on time. One was via the Crescent to New Orleans and the Sunset to San Antonio, the other was the Capitol Ltd from Rockville to Chicago and the Texas Eagle to Dallas. The Capitol/Texas Eagle routing was prefeable because the trains run daily, and the Texas Eagle arrives in San Antonio close to midnight if it’s on time. We could fly from BWI to San Antonio in much less time, and the security wasn’t that much of a hassle.
Interestingly it was faster to take the Trinity Rail Express from Dallas Union Station to the Ft Worth Intermodal Center, even though it makes severeal stops, than to take the Texas Eagle which is non stop.
I take short rides on the Surfliners at least once a month.I try for longer trips at least once a year.In 1978 I went on a cross country trip on Amtrak,and did cross country trips once every year between 1988 and 1995.I enjoy train travel very much[:)].
I rode the Pacific Surfliner several times in December after a derailment caused a slow order and Coaster and Surfliner trains were combined. The last time I had ridden on Amtrak, the route was called the San Diegan and Amfleet cars were used. (So quite a while ago.) I do however ride the Coaster twice a week.
I rode on a band trip to NYC for macys parade.I am hoping amtrak stays afloat emough this summer so I can get a trip from Bryan to chicago this summer for me mamma and the matt.
stay safe
joe
At least twice a year, and in the Midwest, no less.
I rode Hiawatha Service round trip to Milwaukee last week. The trip was quiet and comfortable. The new station at Mitchell Field is beautiful. I’m not a fan of the vendor with the pushcart for snacks.
I was on the CZ last year to Grand Junction. It was a great trip.
I don’t fly anymore. The hilarity at the airports beats whatever treatment the Pennsy could dish out, and I like the idea of being able to drive and park at the depot only feet from where the sleeping car door will open. I get out of my car and right into Amtrak’s.
Mitch
My last trip was September, 2002. At the time, my company forced me (forced, I say!) to travel semiannually to West Palm Beach, normally in March and September. Departure was from Buffalo in the morning for an all-day ride to Penn Station. From there, after a three hour layover, one of the Silver Service trains headed south. My first leg into NYC was always by coach, but for the overnight I went first class. The company would reimburse me an amount equal to airfare, so the roomette was out of my pocket, but well worth the several hundred dollars diff. The total round trip cost about $900.
Some of the trip highlights were running at 110 mph down the NEC - so smooth you don’t really notice the speed; seeing the monuments in DC - a great view of the Jefferson Memorial; a long morning stop in Jacksonville, with time to step outside and enjoy the Florida air; the dining car food was always excellent and came with the first class fare; excellent service - Mr Zinnerman, if you read this, I thank you.
Today, that trip is not possible because you can no longer make the connection at Penn Station. I can’t imagine why, but now the latest s/b departure from NYC leaves before the earliest arrival from BUF. It makes no sense.
Incidentally, my last commercial airline flight was Sep 9, 2001, West Palm to DC to Buffalo. I shared the first leg with Sen. Ted Kennedy, who was seated a few rows ahead of me in the coach section - placed there, no doubt, for weight and balance purposes. The Buffalo leg was abruptly cancelled - the crew said they were going to KC instead. USAir couldn’t have cared less about the inconvenience to passengers. They placed me on a hop to Albany, then a commuter run to Buffalo, arriving many hours late. Never again!
Once, 10 years ago. I’m afraid I’m one of those people who lives on a busy rail line, but no chance for pass. rail travel. Now with all the recent news, maybe I won’t be able to ever again…