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Unfortunately, Amtrak management has only expressed at best lukewarm support for long distance trains[0]. The California Zephyr in particular (Chicago <-> San

Unfortunately, Amtrak management has only expressed at best lukewarm support for long distance trains[0]. The California Zephyr in particular (Chicago <-> San Francisco) often runs with delays of 10 or more hours (two years ago, I was on a train scheduled to arrive in downtown Chicago at 2 PM and didn't get me there until after midnight -- Union Station is not exactly a bustling part of town at that hour. [0]https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/01/us/amtrak-coronavirus-profit-public-transportation.html https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/01/us/amtrak-coronavirus-pro...

bobthepanda 3y ago
The delays aren't really Amtrak's fault. Freight companies manage the tracks and pay lip service to Amtrak's regulated priority. Until 2019 that enforcement was up to the DOJ, who didn't really do anything, but Amtrak was granted the ability to sue that year. https://enotrans.org/article/durbin-introduces-bill-to-allow-amtrak-to-sue-freight-railroads-for-delays/ https://enotrans.org/article/durbin-introduces-bill-to-allow... Amtrak is currently trying to sue their host railroads but these suits take time. https://seekingalpha.com/article/4598703-for-all-rail-freight-amtraks-fight-with-the-union-pacific-signals-more-change https://seekingalpha.com/article/4598703-for-all-rail-freigh...
bombcar 3y ago
The long distance trains (even things like the Late For Sure Limited) are an anachronism that really doesn’t have support from anyone but railfans and the small numbers who use it. But they’re incredibly fun to ride but you need to not have to be anywhere anytime.
- thriftwy 3y ago
  Why is a competitive carbon-neutral system of moving people between cities up to 1000 km apart an anachronism?
  - toast0 3y ago
    Because service hasn't been competitive for decades, for various reasons, mostly because a single set of tracks doesn't work well for freight and passengers. Afaik, there's no place with large rail coverage where there's one rail network for freight and one rail network for passengers; a lot of the world has rail for passengers and lacks significant rail for freight, the US has rail for freight and lacks significant rail for passengers. The two use cases don't mix well. If you want to get somewhere in the US in a reasonable amount of time at a reasonable cost, your options are usually roads (bus or personal vehicle) and commercial air travel. There's a couple corridors where boat or train actually work, but not many.
    - thriftwy 3y ago
      Russia (and some other ex-USSR states) has a large amount of passenger rail (long distance, commuter and the new thing that is daytime quick inter-regional trains) and also a large amount of freight as well. It helps that most of main lines are electrified twin tracks. With regards for competitiveness, once it's in it becomes vital infrastructure that nobody asks questions about. Like nobody asks "are the USA interstates competitive". They're there so that country as a whole remains competitive.
    - bobthepanda 3y ago
      China has both. Transcon rail will never be a thing but most people live in areas close by. The Midwest is roughly the size of France with similar population levels; and the upper limit of high speed rail travel is thought to be about five hours on the train, which is compatible with NYC to Chicago, or Chicago to Atlanta, or NYC to Atlanta, not to mention all the shorter trips in between.
      - bombcar 3y ago
        Those "shorter routes" are where things could shine, even if you don't go high-speed a train from MSP to CHI through Milwaukee would see some use.
      - sofixa 3y ago

bobthepanda 3y ago

The delays aren't really Amtrak's fault. Freight companies manage the tracks and pay lip service to Amtrak's regulated priority. Until 2019 that enforcement was up to the DOJ, who didn't really do anything, but Amtrak was granted the ability to sue that year. https://enotrans.org/article/durbin-introduces-bill-to-allow-amtrak-to-sue-freight-railroads-for-delays/ https://enotrans.org/article/durbin-introduces-bill-to-allow... Amtrak is currently trying to sue their host railroads but these suits take time. https://seekingalpha.com/article/4598703-for-all-rail-freight-amtraks-fight-with-the-union-pacific-signals-more-change https://seekingalpha.com/article/4598703-for-all-rail-freigh...

bombcar 3y ago

The long distance trains (even things like the Late For Sure Limited) are an anachronism that really doesn’t have support from anyone but railfans and the small numbers who use it. But they’re incredibly fun to ride but you need to not have to be anywhere anytime.

thriftwy 3y ago
Why is a competitive carbon-neutral system of moving people between cities up to 1000 km apart an anachronism?
- toast0 3y ago
  Because service hasn't been competitive for decades, for various reasons, mostly because a single set of tracks doesn't work well for freight and passengers. Afaik, there's no place with large rail coverage where there's one rail network for freight and one rail network for passengers; a lot of the world has rail for passengers and lacks significant rail for freight, the US has rail for freight and lacks significant rail for passengers. The two use cases don't mix well. If you want to get somewhere in the US in a reasonable amount of time at a reasonable cost, your options are usually roads (bus or personal vehicle) and commercial air travel. There's a couple corridors where boat or train actually work, but not many.
  - thriftwy 3y ago
    Russia (and some other ex-USSR states) has a large amount of passenger rail (long distance, commuter and the new thing that is daytime quick inter-regional trains) and also a large amount of freight as well. It helps that most of main lines are electrified twin tracks. With regards for competitiveness, once it's in it becomes vital infrastructure that nobody asks questions about. Like nobody asks "are the USA interstates competitive". They're there so that country as a whole remains competitive.
  - bobthepanda 3y ago
    China has both. Transcon rail will never be a thing but most people live in areas close by. The Midwest is roughly the size of France with similar population levels; and the upper limit of high speed rail travel is thought to be about five hours on the train, which is compatible with NYC to Chicago, or Chicago to Atlanta, or NYC to Atlanta, not to mention all the shorter trips in between.
    - bombcar 3y ago
      Those "shorter routes" are where things could shine, even if you don't go high-speed a train from MSP to CHI through Milwaukee would see some use.
    - sofixa 3y ago