3 ms·

It's a huge mistake to judge all trains by Amtrak's current condition. It's quite awful compared to modern trains in other parts of the world. You'd be surprise

by carbon8 17y ago

It's a huge mistake to judge all trains by Amtrak's current condition. It's quite awful compared to modern trains in other parts of the world. You'd be surprised at how smooth and quiet modern trains can be, and that combined with wifi, nice seating and convenient stations makes it a very pleasant way to travel.

hughprime 17y ago
In my limited experience with Amtrak (admittedly limited to the Capitol Corridor line to Sacramento), there's no real problem with the comfort and quietness of the train -- the seats are comfortable, the trains aren't crowded, the staff are reasonably pleasant, and it's no slower than driving. I've never noticed the noise as a problem either. Combine all that with the pleasant view of the Bay on the Richmond-Martinez stretch and it's a really pleasant way to travel. The only problems are (a) that they're often late, and (b) that even with the bridge toll and $4 gas it's cheaper to drive my own gas-hogging car to Sac than to catch the train.
- carbon8 17y ago
  I haven't been on the Capitol Corridor line and don't know if they use newer, nicer trains than most of Amtrak. I've been on all of the cross country lines and a number of the stretches in the east, which almost exclusively use Superliner cars http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superliner_(railcar) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superliner_(railcar) and similar single-level coach cars. The difference between these and modern trains is like night and day. The Superliners are noisy and bumpy, with the classic "ka-clump, ka-clump" throughout the journey, and the interiors are cramped and, frequently, colored a drab, stained brown. In contrast, modern trains feel like they are gliding on the tracks with almost no sound (no "ka-clump") and tend to be roomy and comfortable. Indeed, Amtrak's service is horrible, too. The worst case I experienced was paying for a sleeper car for an overnight trip, only to be told as we were being herded onto a single level coach that the sleeper car was broken and we were being downgraded.

by carbon8 17y ago

hughprime 17y ago

In my limited experience with Amtrak (admittedly limited to the Capitol Corridor line to Sacramento), there's no real problem with the comfort and quietness of the train -- the seats are comfortable, the trains aren't crowded, the staff are reasonably pleasant, and it's no slower than driving. I've never noticed the noise as a problem either. Combine all that with the pleasant view of the Bay on the Richmond-Martinez stretch and it's a really pleasant way to travel. The only problems are (a) that they're often late, and (b) that even with the bridge toll and $4 gas it's cheaper to drive my own gas-hogging car to Sac than to catch the train.

carbon8 17y ago
I haven't been on the Capitol Corridor line and don't know if they use newer, nicer trains than most of Amtrak. I've been on all of the cross country lines and a number of the stretches in the east, which almost exclusively use Superliner cars http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superliner_(railcar) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superliner_(railcar) and similar single-level coach cars. The difference between these and modern trains is like night and day. The Superliners are noisy and bumpy, with the classic "ka-clump, ka-clump" throughout the journey, and the interiors are cramped and, frequently, colored a drab, stained brown. In contrast, modern trains feel like they are gliding on the tracks with almost no sound (no "ka-clump") and tend to be roomy and comfortable. Indeed, Amtrak's service is horrible, too. The worst case I experienced was paying for a sleeper car for an overnight trip, only to be told as we were being herded onto a single level coach that the sleeper car was broken and we were being downgraded.