3 ms·

11 hour drive from Chicago to Washington, DC. 17 hour train ride.

by benatkin 3y ago

thriftwy 3y ago
You can sleep and read a book during these 17 hours, though.
- benatkin 3y ago
  Main problem being it's an overnight trip, and you can't pick and choose your schedule. The comparison I really wanted to make was Chicago to NYC but I wanted to provide the best one for the train. Chicago to NYC is even less palatable. Want to split Chicago to NYC into two segments and stay the night in Buffalo? Too bad, only one train per day, you have to spend the night on the train, plus there's no view around what I think would be a scenic route from Chicago to Buffalo. https://neo-trans.blog/2022/08/05/campaign-arrives-to-expand-cleveland-amtrak-service/ https://neo-trans.blog/2022/08/05/campaign-arrives-to-expand...
  - thriftwy 3y ago
    Chicago to NYC is actually a bit out of reach for night trains (which you should absolutely take and absolutely sleep as a baby on your berth) being 1150 km as crow flies. There was a comfortably scheduled night Helsinki to Moscow train which covered 950km, made possible by the fact that Moscow-SPb rail line was built almost a straight line and also quite quick. The terrain between NYC and Chicago is rugged so no such path to be expected. Maybe the Chinese would be able to build a 1000 km elevated track between those two cities and make it all work, though they will prefer to make it an 5h daytime ride and not a nighttrain...
    - benatkin 3y ago
      I don't want a night train, I want a day train. The train isn't too rugged for them to run 3 trains per day instead of 1, running at different times, so you can choose the time you leave a given station.
jcranmer 3y ago
> 11 hour drive from Chicago to Washington, DC. Having done that drive a few times, it's closer to 14 hours in practice, taking into account pit stops.
- benatkin 3y ago
  I left that out because the train is also subject to delays, and if you are quick with the pit stops it's no more than the time spent getting in and out of the station (you don't want to arrive at the station the moment it's leaving)
llbeansandrice 3y ago
I guess this comment is supposed to be something snide about the deplorable state of rail in comparison to "just driving". But that 11hr drive is easily longer due to pit stops and potentially traffic depending on when you hit metro areas. While on the train you can travel in basically first class comfort. Read a book. Get WiFi via a hotspot or just pre-download content. Bring cards or something to play games with a travel companion or a portable gaming device like a Switch. The train sounds p great honestly.
codingdave 3y ago
11 hours of active driving and dealing with traffic, then gotta catch up on energy after the drive, which means crashing out for the night, so you are really down for 24 hours. 17 hours of napping and relaxing, don't have to deal with parking at your destination, and can hit the ground running. It is all a question of perspective.

11 hour drive from Chicago to Washington, DC. 17 hour train ride.

thriftwy 3y ago

You can sleep and read a book during these 17 hours, though.

benatkin 3y ago
Main problem being it's an overnight trip, and you can't pick and choose your schedule. The comparison I really wanted to make was Chicago to NYC but I wanted to provide the best one for the train. Chicago to NYC is even less palatable. Want to split Chicago to NYC into two segments and stay the night in Buffalo? Too bad, only one train per day, you have to spend the night on the train, plus there's no view around what I think would be a scenic route from Chicago to Buffalo. https://neo-trans.blog/2022/08/05/campaign-arrives-to-expand-cleveland-amtrak-service/ https://neo-trans.blog/2022/08/05/campaign-arrives-to-expand...
- thriftwy 3y ago
  Chicago to NYC is actually a bit out of reach for night trains (which you should absolutely take and absolutely sleep as a baby on your berth) being 1150 km as crow flies. There was a comfortably scheduled night Helsinki to Moscow train which covered 950km, made possible by the fact that Moscow-SPb rail line was built almost a straight line and also quite quick. The terrain between NYC and Chicago is rugged so no such path to be expected. Maybe the Chinese would be able to build a 1000 km elevated track between those two cities and make it all work, though they will prefer to make it an 5h daytime ride and not a nighttrain...
  - benatkin 3y ago
    I don't want a night train, I want a day train. The train isn't too rugged for them to run 3 trains per day instead of 1, running at different times, so you can choose the time you leave a given station.

jcranmer 3y ago

> 11 hour drive from Chicago to Washington, DC. Having done that drive a few times, it's closer to 14 hours in practice, taking into account pit stops.

benatkin 3y ago
I left that out because the train is also subject to delays, and if you are quick with the pit stops it's no more than the time spent getting in and out of the station (you don't want to arrive at the station the moment it's leaving)

llbeansandrice 3y ago

I guess this comment is supposed to be something snide about the deplorable state of rail in comparison to "just driving". But that 11hr drive is easily longer due to pit stops and potentially traffic depending on when you hit metro areas. While on the train you can travel in basically first class comfort. Read a book. Get WiFi via a hotspot or just pre-download content. Bring cards or something to play games with a travel companion or a portable gaming device like a Switch. The train sounds p great honestly.

codingdave 3y ago

11 hours of active driving and dealing with traffic, then gotta catch up on energy after the drive, which means crashing out for the night, so you are really down for 24 hours. 17 hours of napping and relaxing, don't have to deal with parking at your destination, and can hit the ground running. It is all a question of perspective.