I’ve managed to stir up a bit of controversy over the Amtrak thing again. It got me wondering something, though. I know there are a few Amtrak riders around here, but how many of you actually ride Amtrak? If you ride it, how many times a year do you take it, and where do you take it to?
I myself generally ride 2-4 times a year (round trip), usually between Denver and Chicago. Should Amtrak manage to keep surviving, I plan to start taking it elsewhere, despite my position on the fate of Amtrak itself (a paradox…I know…). So how about the rest of you?
Albany - Montreal; taking my whole family, probably about once a month. Albany - Chicago, twice a year. Albany - Albuquerque, one a year. Chicago - Denver, twice a year.
And all of those lines are, I imagine, history now, so I will have to drive if I go at all…
I’ve never had the opportunity yet. My wife and I would love to take an Amtrak trip somewhere, but she insists on having a sleeper room, which makes the cost prohibitive (sigh). I’m wondering if my chances are becoming slim to none…
Once a year, Rochester, NY to St.Paul, MN round trip. For 2006 was planning an additional trip to Seattle and back from Rochester. Am no longer able to travel by air (medical condition), and can not legally drive, so I will be up the old creek without a paddle before long.
I can still take a bus to Toronto then travel by VIA to Vancouver, then bus down to Seattle. Better scenery that way anyhow!
I had ridden Amtrak in the fall of 1989 between Lincoln, Nebraska and Fort Morgan, Colorado, and then going back in the other direction some ten days later. The car that I had ridden in was brand new and very comfortable. I didn’t see much scenery along the way in going in either direction, as my train finally pulled out of Lincoln at about 12:30 AM, it was an hour and a half late in getting into Lincoln. I finally arrived at my destination at about 8:00 or 8:30 AM MST after Amtrak had to take the siding a couple times for long BN coal trains. It was even worse than that on the return trip to Lincoln.
But if I could ride Amtrak again and do so in daylight conditions, yeah, I think I would .
I used to take it 4-6 times every 2 months I had a job in the St Paul area I would take it from Chicago to St Paul round trip Every 2 weeks. Now I have to save up for a trip I want to go Chi to LA out on the SW chief and back on the Sunset ut I ave to come up with around 2 grand for that. Hard to do on SS disability.
Obviously I do. I don’t have critical time concerns, it beats the hell out of driving, I can travel by coach at less cost than flying and I don’t have to sit in a cramped seat looking at the back of another cramped seat. Making my 4th trip this year tonight Chicago-DC.
Well Chris, I probably average a trip every other year or so. In the past I would take Amtrak if it worked for me, and often it did, mostly up and down the coast on the Starlight and San Diegans. But science I can’t smoke on Amtrak anymore I would not take any trip that took more than 12 or so hours or I might become a threat to others. I wi***he Desert Wind was still alive as I would take it up Salt Lake way on a thanksgiving week trip comming up.
…Not in the work force anymore so our movements are perhaps limited…but we’ve traveled on Amtrak within the past few years in Pennsylvania…{Horseshoe Curve area}, and Florida.
I use the Cascades between Portland and Seattle. I think that set of runs will survive because the States of Oregon and Washington pay for the train and own its equipment.