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They have Amtrak service along the west coast, and I've taken the Seattle to Eugene and Seattle to Vancouver trains. I was unimpressed, because the maximum spe

by 13of40 7y ago

They have Amtrak service along the west coast, and I've taken the Seattle to Eugene and Seattle to Vancouver trains. I was unimpressed, because the maximum speed is about 80 miles per hour, like most of I-5 (edit: I mean that's effectively how fast people drive, not the speed limit), and the fare is so high you could actually rent a car for a few days instead, especially if there's more than one of you traveling. (Seattle -> Eugene, a 4 hour trip, one way starts at $78 according to their website.) I've always suspected it was a critical mass thing, and if more people used the service the price might go down, but for a self-interested individual, it just doesn't make sense right now.

leetcrew 7y ago
> I've always suspected it was a critical mass thing, and if more people used the service the price might go down, but for a self-interested individual, it just doesn't make sense right now. personally I find traveling on amtrak to be a lovely experience. even on the NE regional I usually get a whole row to myself if it isn't a holiday weekend. of course, this is probably why it's so expensive. on the other hand if the ridership went up, it wouldn't be such a nice experience anymore.
- 13of40 7y ago
  Oh, don't get me wrong: I like trains in general, and I've got many fond memories of train adventures in Europe and Asia. Amtrak can be pleasant if you're just touring around. If you're looking for a serious mode of travel, though, the train system on the west coast is a joke. It's in a weird spot where if you care about money you can take a bus and if you care about convenience you can take a plane, but if you don't care about either...take Amtrak?
FireBeyond 7y ago
> Seattle -> Eugene, a 4 hour trip The days/times when you can get through the Puget Sound, JBLM corridor in less than 2 or more hours for that segment alone are rapidly declining. It can easily take 2h+ to get from Federal Way to Olympia, even in non peak hours.

by 13of40 7y ago

leetcrew 7y ago

> I've always suspected it was a critical mass thing, and if more people used the service the price might go down, but for a self-interested individual, it just doesn't make sense right now. personally I find traveling on amtrak to be a lovely experience. even on the NE regional I usually get a whole row to myself if it isn't a holiday weekend. of course, this is probably why it's so expensive. on the other hand if the ridership went up, it wouldn't be such a nice experience anymore.

13of40 7y ago
Oh, don't get me wrong: I like trains in general, and I've got many fond memories of train adventures in Europe and Asia. Amtrak can be pleasant if you're just touring around. If you're looking for a serious mode of travel, though, the train system on the west coast is a joke. It's in a weird spot where if you care about money you can take a bus and if you care about convenience you can take a plane, but if you don't care about either...take Amtrak?

FireBeyond 7y ago

> Seattle -> Eugene, a 4 hour trip The days/times when you can get through the Puget Sound, JBLM corridor in less than 2 or more hours for that segment alone are rapidly declining. It can easily take 2h+ to get from Federal Way to Olympia, even in non peak hours.