4 ms·

I’ve taken the Acela from NYC to DC and back many times, and it is quite nice. But a big advantage it gets is how much of a pain it is to reach area airports in

I’ve taken the Acela from NYC to DC and back many times, and it is quite nice. But a big advantage it gets is how much of a pain it is to reach area airports in both cities. If intra-regional mass transit was improved that would paradoxically hurt the competitiveness of inter-regional rail.

ghaff 6y ago
Reagan in DC is convenient to the metro (Dulles of course is not) but all of NYC's airports are a pain.
- benatkin 6y ago
  What about Newark? I went through Newark Penn Station a few times and it seems decent. Is it a PITA to go between Newark Penn Station and the airport, or is the airport itself a bigger hassle than most? Last time I went through LAX there were no good options for getting from there to downtown LA.
  - bradleyjg 6y ago
    Newark is probably the least bad, but you still have to take a slow second train (AirTrain) after getting to Newark Penn. Also, while the NJ Transit trains are better set up for travelers than the LIRR to JFK they aren’t nearly as nice as the dedicated setup they have in London.
    - ghaff 6y ago
      Although Heathrow Express is quite pricey compared to the tube and, depending upon where you're going, may not even be more convenient. More often than not, I'm near Trafalgar Square so I just take the Piccadilly Line in. But, yes, Heathrow has good transit options in general (although it's an expensive cab ride).
cromwellian 6y ago
Even if getting to the airport is convenient, you still need to arrive 1 hour before your flight, and deal with security, boarding procedures, taxi, air traffic control, etc on both sides. In Japan, I can literally show up for a Shinkansen five minutes before departure and hop right on. Airports for short range traffic are fscking awful.
- bradleyjg 6y ago
  It’s a decent point, however: * I can’t just show up for the Acela five minutes before departure. It’s not nearly as bad as flying, but there is ceremony involved. * Security and boarding are a lot better when you are a frequent business traveler. That’s who is going to make the bulk of the DC-NYC trips regardless of modality. We shouldn’t compare the tourist experience between the two.
  - cromwellian 6y ago
    The door-to-door times will still be worse on DC<->NYC trips. I grew up in Baltimore-Washington area, and lived in NYC for a time, and used to take Acela every weekend down. I could get door-to-door in about 3.5 hrs. No way I could get in-out of NYC airport or Dulles/National in that time, even if I was a frequent biz traveler.

ghaff 6y ago

Reagan in DC is convenient to the metro (Dulles of course is not) but all of NYC's airports are a pain.

benatkin 6y ago
What about Newark? I went through Newark Penn Station a few times and it seems decent. Is it a PITA to go between Newark Penn Station and the airport, or is the airport itself a bigger hassle than most? Last time I went through LAX there were no good options for getting from there to downtown LA.
- bradleyjg 6y ago
  Newark is probably the least bad, but you still have to take a slow second train (AirTrain) after getting to Newark Penn. Also, while the NJ Transit trains are better set up for travelers than the LIRR to JFK they aren’t nearly as nice as the dedicated setup they have in London.
  - ghaff 6y ago
    Although Heathrow Express is quite pricey compared to the tube and, depending upon where you're going, may not even be more convenient. More often than not, I'm near Trafalgar Square so I just take the Piccadilly Line in. But, yes, Heathrow has good transit options in general (although it's an expensive cab ride).

cromwellian 6y ago

Even if getting to the airport is convenient, you still need to arrive 1 hour before your flight, and deal with security, boarding procedures, taxi, air traffic control, etc on both sides. In Japan, I can literally show up for a Shinkansen five minutes before departure and hop right on. Airports for short range traffic are fscking awful.

bradleyjg 6y ago
It’s a decent point, however: * I can’t just show up for the Acela five minutes before departure. It’s not nearly as bad as flying, but there is ceremony involved. * Security and boarding are a lot better when you are a frequent business traveler. That’s who is going to make the bulk of the DC-NYC trips regardless of modality. We shouldn’t compare the tourist experience between the two.
- cromwellian 6y ago
  The door-to-door times will still be worse on DC<->NYC trips. I grew up in Baltimore-Washington area, and lived in NYC for a time, and used to take Acela every weekend down. I could get door-to-door in about 3.5 hrs. No way I could get in-out of NYC airport or Dulles/National in that time, even if I was a frequent biz traveler.