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In a place with oodles of people treading distances that aren't plane-worthy, why aren't trains doing better? I can't speak for others, but I sat on an Amtrak

In a place with oodles of people treading distances that aren't plane-worthy, why aren't trains doing better? I can't speak for others, but I sat on an Amtrak train for about 30 continuous hours last fall, and it was probably the worst mass-transit experience I've ever had. At least riding a packed, loud bus across Thailand -- jostled awake regularly in the night as the lead-footed driver braked to avoid a head-on collision while passing mid-curve -- was exciting. I'm glad they can intelligently accommodate bicycles (unlike, say, CalTrain), and the local station had a very friendly staff, but everything else about Amtrak appalled me.

ryanklee 15y ago
These are all problems with the current implementation -- not problems with trains themselves. Trains are wonderful; amtrak is rotten.
- georgieporgie 15y ago
  Absolutely, and I love riding the train in Japan! I'm just saying that the reason ridership has been stagnant is probably because Amtrak itself kind of sucks. I would be all for privatization (which I'm normally not for), since they've done such a miserable job on all fronts.
jackowayed 15y ago
What's wrong caltrain's handling of bikes? How would you handle bikes on a commuter train that only stops for a minute?
- georgieporgie 15y ago
  All they did was pull most of the seats out of the first floor of a single car, and provide some bungie cords. You have to watch your bike at all times, since there's nothing preventing another rider from walking off with it, and you'll have other riders moving your bike to reach their own. There are rules (e.g. no trailers) which are not posted. The staff fully expect every rider to visit the website beforehand to make sure they conform to all rules. I expect vertical bike racks, clearly posted rules at every station, and helpful staff. Amtrak has a dedicated bike car on some of their lines, which is much better. You hand your bike over at the bike car and they'll have it out for you at your destination stop. They're faster, safer, and more trustworthy with my bike than random rider x.

ryanklee 15y ago

These are all problems with the current implementation -- not problems with trains themselves. Trains are wonderful; amtrak is rotten.

georgieporgie 15y ago
Absolutely, and I love riding the train in Japan! I'm just saying that the reason ridership has been stagnant is probably because Amtrak itself kind of sucks. I would be all for privatization (which I'm normally not for), since they've done such a miserable job on all fronts.

jackowayed 15y ago

What's wrong caltrain's handling of bikes? How would you handle bikes on a commuter train that only stops for a minute?

georgieporgie 15y ago
All they did was pull most of the seats out of the first floor of a single car, and provide some bungie cords. You have to watch your bike at all times, since there's nothing preventing another rider from walking off with it, and you'll have other riders moving your bike to reach their own. There are rules (e.g. no trailers) which are not posted. The staff fully expect every rider to visit the website beforehand to make sure they conform to all rules. I expect vertical bike racks, clearly posted rules at every station, and helpful staff. Amtrak has a dedicated bike car on some of their lines, which is much better. You hand your bike over at the bike car and they'll have it out for you at your destination stop. They're faster, safer, and more trustworthy with my bike than random rider x.