http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/03/08/travel/08amtrak.html?em
What a marvelous piece of writing!
Andy Issacson captured perfectly the nuances of cross-country train travel. While it was of some length, getting to the end left me wanting for more.
A similarly enjoyable read in book length would be Zephyr: Tracking a Dream Across America by Henry Kisor.
Kisor is the book editor for the Chicago Sun-Times and paints an entertaining mile-by-mile account of his California Zephyr trip from Chicago’s Union Station to points west. Includes interviews with engineer, conductor and all crew members – a great insight into what makes this train run!
What makes him an amazing storyteller is the fact he is deaf. A must-read for every railfan and traveler.
Great Article!!!
I was going to post this but I searched to see if someone had done it first. Good thing I looked.
My rail fan friend on this board, Tom the Street Sweeper (more of a lurker than a poster), went on one of the Amtrak Cross Country rides from Chicago to Arizona. He loved it. I am going to make sure that Tom reads my NY Times copy of this. Some day I am going to give the Amtrak ride a try. Tom and I also rode the Chicago South Shore from Hammond to the end of the line East.
I did ride on a train from Iron Mountain into Canada some years ago. That was a scenic ride.
Go Amtrak!!!
TonyM.
It definitely was a refreshing article compared to so many we have heard about both long distance trains in general and Amtrak in particular. We know the quality is not even across the whole system if only because of it being such a politicized system of operating. It certainly shows what train travel can be, and in fact alreadys is for many people.
We often hear the question, “what is the better way to travel, trian or plane?” And sides are quickly chosen and explained. What is not said in these discussions, what is not asked, are why and where of the trip. Certainly business, in today’s climate, needs a quick fly to and from in one day. But liesure could use a longer, easier going rail trip. But a counter on business is that an overnight train with wi fi for computer and cell phone could be just as economical and more relaxing and more productive than a 6AM flight out and a 10 PM flight arrival. As we look at a new philosophy and restructuring (read a lot into that word here) business changing business scenerious, if you will, both in movement of freight, and application by passengers should be taken into consideration and pronounced in the public discussion.
The only real reason that I hate to travel is the transportation part. Amtrak changed all this. I only wish the fares were lower, as my wife is bitter about paying four times as much to go by train than by car from Washington DC to New York City.
Cost per passenger is a very real concern which has to be addressed in any planning. But the struggles will come from how to decide the costs: fuel, time, labor, cost of equipment, cost of right of way et al., and cost to envirnment problems. Couple that, in the case of passengers, cost of end of journey hotel vs. overnight, total upkeep of an automobile vs. single trip charge, etc. Oh the list is as endless as the arguements ahead!
That was a great article.It brought back memories of some of my long cross country Amtrak trips.If the right people read this article,it may even loosen some purse strings in Washington for Amtrak funding.
Maybe Amtrak should consider reducing some of its NEC fares a little, at least while this economy is so down. For the first time in a long time, NEC Regional train rideship is also down. Amtrak shows a great deal of marketing savvy in raising fares during the busiest times of day; now let them use that same flexibility in filling up the trains that are traveling half-empty. After all, if you have a five-car train with the capacity of holding around 250 passengers, but is carrying only 150, an extra 50 or 75 people might decide to switch over from other modes of transport, car, bus and shuttle plane if the price were lower than before. (If in real estate the prime consideration is “Location, location,” on the NEC it’s “Time of Day, Time of Day.”)
Isn’t it worth trying – I mean, what are the extra costs? None I can think of, not if the trains are already fully staffed and costs have already been taken into account. Would an extra hundred bodies cause the HEP motor to draw more electricity? I don’t know, but I doubt it would deplete from revenue (if it is even considered revenue, as opposed to fixed cost), not nearly as much as “marginal draw” passengers would add directly to revenue. - a.s.
Al, they have. Joe Boardman announced them last week. Also note that the “demand marketing” pricing is still in place so Amtrak will get what it needs (marketing term, not accounting term).
Maybe it is time to remove a few AMFLEET cars from NEC service on non sold out trains and put on the cars on single level services out of NYP. The Jan 2009 figures show increases on almost all LD trains out of NYP so the demand may be there/.
Good to know! Thanks!
FWIW I loved the NYTimes article on traveling cross-country by The Cardinal and the CZ, and wrote an e-mail note of appreciation to author Andy Isaacson and his editor(s). - al
I didn’t read the article as I never see NY Times way out here in the Midwest. But I can only say good
things about Amtrak. I took the Empire Builder and Coast Starlight from Chicago to San Fran in 2003 and the Southwest Chief to Williams in 2005, where I connected up with a Grand Canyon Railway
package… Now that RR is no longer running. I hope Amtrak gets good support from the government to keep running and publicity continues to keep promoting train travel. There’s no other way to see the US except from the window of a train. I rode many different RR’s in my younger days with my parents on Dad’s Frisco pass. Because we traveled on a pass, many times we were not on the best trains, or had to make multiple transfers to reach our destination, but the important thing was we were riding a train.
I thought the Grand Canyon RR only stopped running steam, not giving up entirely!
That is a very well written pice. I almost could picture myself on the CZ sleeping to the sound of steel wheels pacing over rail joints. Quite beautiful!
A nice piece of writing by Mr. Isaacson. Publishing ethics being what they are, however, I’d be interested to know any financial relationship with Amtrak. I suspect we would all make the trip nearly weekly if we could do it at his cost.
The Times also managed to commit one of my pet peeves – the desire of the publishing elite to make sure we know they are special people by mentioning that they are bi-residential. Mr. Isaacson resides in New York City and Berkeley, California. Isn’t that just too precious?