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The New Coffee Room

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  3. I forgot how nice it is to use the train

I forgot how nice it is to use the train

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  • HoraceH Offline
    HoraceH Offline
    Horace
    wrote on last edited by
    #24

    I imagine most of CA’s massive tax revenue goes to fund a massive dysfunctional bureaucracy that serves to prevent anything from getting accomplished.

    Education is extremely important.

    1 Reply Last reply
    • bachophileB bachophile

      https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/portugal-singapore-train-rail-travel-b1975630.html

      taiwan_girlT Offline
      taiwan_girlT Offline
      taiwan_girl
      wrote on last edited by
      #25

      @bachophile said in I forgot how nice it is to use the train:

      https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/portugal-singapore-train-rail-travel-b1975630.html

      Couldn't see more than the first paragraph, but looks like an interesting trip.

      Here is a story (a bit old but still interesting) about a couple of guys who took the train from Vienna to Pyongyang DPRK. DPRK does not ordinarily allow travelers to enter via train (except via one crossing in China). Authorities in Russia made a mistake and at the border, they were not stopped.

      http://vienna-pyongyang.blogspot.com

      1 Reply Last reply
      • George KG George K

        @axtremus said in I forgot how nice it is to use the train:

        high-speed rail funding

        Look at the boondoggle in California's HSR initiative. It's massively behind schedule, massively over budget, and massively too short (if that makes sense). In the more than 10 years since it was approved, it has 119 "under construction." Not completed, under construction.

        This video will give you an idea of the scope of the progress:

        Link to video

        The inter-city travel in Europe is of a much smaller scale, and therefore easier to implement than here in the US.

        The only place where HSR is possible here in the US is where Amtrak actually owns the right-of-way: the Northeast Corridor. Even there, the "high-speed" Acela between DC and Boston only hits about 150 mph, and that's for a short stretch in Connecticut.

        George KG Offline
        George KG Offline
        George K
        wrote on last edited by
        #26

        @George-K said in I forgot how nice it is to use the train:

        Look at the boondoggle in California's HSR initiative.

        "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

        The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

        1 Reply Last reply
        • KlausK Offline
          KlausK Offline
          Klaus
          wrote on last edited by
          #27

          Why are those rail tracks so insanely expensive?

          1 Reply Last reply
          • jon-nycJ Online
            jon-nycJ Online
            jon-nyc
            wrote on last edited by jon-nyc
            #28

            Probably lots of legal challenges about routes and environmental impact. Maybe shitty contracts that have union guys getting paid handsomely while waiting for legal permission. Etc.

            Also who knows if the above ‘estimate’ is legit or exaggerated.

            Only non-witches get due process.

            • Cotton Mather, Salem Massachusetts, 1692
            George KG 1 Reply Last reply
            • jon-nycJ jon-nyc

              Probably lots of legal challenges about routes and environmental impact. Maybe shitty contracts that have union guys getting paid handsomely while waiting for legal permission. Etc.

              Also who knows if the above ‘estimate’ is legit or exaggerated.

              George KG Offline
              George KG Offline
              George K
              wrote on last edited by
              #29

              @jon-nyc said in I forgot how nice it is to use the train:

              Probably lots of legal challenges about routes and environmental impact

              Yup. Remember when the contractor said he can't do it and left for Africa because it's less dysfunctional?

              Also there's a lot of politicking going on. The original route has been amended so as to service one politician's home town - with the attendant massive increase in cost and delays.

              The "Brightline" train in FL that's references? Not really a fair comparison. Brightline used existing tracks and rights-of-way making it much cheaper. Not mentioned is that Brightline is not really high-speed rail either. The locomotives they use are rated up to (I believe) 130 mph. I doubt the track work is capable of sustaining that for most of its run.

              Current Operations in South Florida: 79 mph
              Orlando Extension from West Palm Beach to Cocoa: 110 mph
              Cocoa to Orlando International Airport: 125 mph

              Brightline is considering a HSR project in Texas connecting Houston and Dallas. The plan is to use Japanese tech and totally new infrastructure. I haven't seen cost estimates.

              "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

              The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

              1 Reply Last reply
              • Tom-KT Offline
                Tom-KT Offline
                Tom-K
                wrote on last edited by
                #30

                About five years ago I took an Amtrak, the Silver Meteor, from Florida to NYC. My daughter had just moved to New York and wanted her cello and I was tasked to get it to her. I had to deliver the cello personally because that's what I was instructed to do so I could either drive it up, fly it up, or take the train. I tried the train because of George's great pics of his trips. Mw wife wasn't coming along so that made the choice easier. I bought tickets for myself and the cello and it was a great experience--going up. The ride was nice except the train tracks from Washington to NYC were pretty rough. Also no great scenery. Lots of abandoned factories and rusty infrastructure, but over all the experience was enjoyable and relaxing. Though--it seems the train the the choice means of travel for a lot of people who I guess are at odds with the authorities. At almost every stop someone was getting hauled off the train in handcuffs.

                The ride back should have been good but I got a seatmate this time. She was a HUGE woman from Haiti, I think. She was nice enough, she didn't speak English and ate food, lots of sour, smelly food, from a paper shopping bag she had on the floor. All in all it was pretty intolerable. I was able to call a friend and he picked me up in Savannah and drove me to my car in Florida. He could smell the Haitian food on me.

                That was the last time I was on a train. My wife and I are thinking of taking a day trip, or maybe an overnight, on the Brightline here in Florida. Could be fun.

                George KG 1 Reply Last reply
                • Tom-KT Tom-K

                  About five years ago I took an Amtrak, the Silver Meteor, from Florida to NYC. My daughter had just moved to New York and wanted her cello and I was tasked to get it to her. I had to deliver the cello personally because that's what I was instructed to do so I could either drive it up, fly it up, or take the train. I tried the train because of George's great pics of his trips. Mw wife wasn't coming along so that made the choice easier. I bought tickets for myself and the cello and it was a great experience--going up. The ride was nice except the train tracks from Washington to NYC were pretty rough. Also no great scenery. Lots of abandoned factories and rusty infrastructure, but over all the experience was enjoyable and relaxing. Though--it seems the train the the choice means of travel for a lot of people who I guess are at odds with the authorities. At almost every stop someone was getting hauled off the train in handcuffs.

                  The ride back should have been good but I got a seatmate this time. She was a HUGE woman from Haiti, I think. She was nice enough, she didn't speak English and ate food, lots of sour, smelly food, from a paper shopping bag she had on the floor. All in all it was pretty intolerable. I was able to call a friend and he picked me up in Savannah and drove me to my car in Florida. He could smell the Haitian food on me.

                  That was the last time I was on a train. My wife and I are thinking of taking a day trip, or maybe an overnight, on the Brightline here in Florida. Could be fun.

                  George KG Offline
                  George KG Offline
                  George K
                  wrote on last edited by George K
                  #31

                  @Tom-K said in I forgot how nice it is to use the train:

                  I got a seatmate this time

                  I never understood why Amtrak seats don't have an armrest between seats.

                  I've only done coach between Fort Wayne (business class)/Chicago and Chicago/Milwaukee.

                  Otherwise it's a sleeper - every single time. Yeah, it's expensive, but at least you get meals.

                  ETA: Yeah, scenery. You'll notice I haven't posted many (if any) pictures of our trips to New Orleans and back. I mean, Mississippi...

                  "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                  The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  • taiwan_girlT Offline
                    taiwan_girlT Offline
                    taiwan_girl
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #32

                    https://www.fox5ny.com/news/nyc-boston-less-than-2-hours-heres-how

                    Imagine being able to go from the Big Apple to Beantown in 100 minutes.

                    After nearly ten years since its inital proposal, the bullet train is finally gaining popularity among lawmakers.

                    The proposal known as the North Atlantic Rail (NAR) is a passenger rail that will take travelers from New York to Boston at speeds up to 225 miles per hour.

                    Rick Harnish, the executive director of the Chicago-based High Speed Rail Alliance, part of the coalition behind the proposal says the service will make travel more enjoyable.

                    "You need to make it easier for people to travel. You need me to make it less expensive for people to travel, and you need to make it more productive," Harnish said.

                    The two cities are roughly 216 miles apart, which is typically a four-hour ride via train or car--meaning the rail would nearly cut that trip in half.

                    That's two hours quicker than the Acela service, which is the fastest train that Amtrak now runs.

                    and

                    There are major concerns about the project though.

                    Not only is the project expected to cost around $50 billion, but environmentalists worry about the impact construction could have on the ecosystem.

                    (expected cost of USD$50B probably means actual cost of at least 3x that)

                    1 Reply Last reply
                    • George KG Offline
                      George KG Offline
                      George K
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #33

                      By the way, Acela doesn't run at 150 mph for most of its run. Only for a short time in Connecticut, iirc.

                      But, when I rode it, 150 on the ground was impressive.

                      IMG_4375.jpg

                      "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                      The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                      1 Reply Last reply
                      • George KG George K

                        @axtremus said in I forgot how nice it is to use the train:

                        high-speed rail funding

                        Look at the boondoggle in California's HSR initiative. It's massively behind schedule, massively over budget, and massively too short (if that makes sense). In the more than 10 years since it was approved, it has 119 "under construction." Not completed, under construction.

                        This video will give you an idea of the scope of the progress:

                        Link to video

                        The inter-city travel in Europe is of a much smaller scale, and therefore easier to implement than here in the US.

                        The only place where HSR is possible here in the US is where Amtrak actually owns the right-of-way: the Northeast Corridor. Even there, the "high-speed" Acela between DC and Boston only hits about 150 mph, and that's for a short stretch in Connecticut.

                        George KG Offline
                        George KG Offline
                        George K
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #34

                        @George-K said in I forgot how nice it is to use the train:

                        Look at the boondoggle in California's HSR initiative. It's massively behind schedule, massively over budget, and massively too short (if that makes sense). In the more than 10 years since it was approved, it has 119 "under construction." Not completed, under construction.

                        Sec Trans Pete:

                        Adam Carolla comments: "My kids were two when California started the high speed rail project they are now 18 and we still got nothing. So I am not as optimistic as Pete."

                        "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                        The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                        1 Reply Last reply
                        • taiwan_girlT Offline
                          taiwan_girlT Offline
                          taiwan_girl
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #35

                          A country like China can do because they just tell people, "we are building a train through your house weather you move or not.'

                          Taiwan put in a high speed rail from Taipei -- Kaohsiung, the two largest cities with Taipei in the north and Kaohsiung in the south. Most of the stations are a bit out of the towns because it was very difficult to get the land.

                          (Fun fact - before the train was built, the most traveled (by number of flights) route in the world was the route between the two cities. There was about a flight every 10 minutes or so. Almost Nobody would ever buy a ticket ahead of time. You would just go to the airport, look for the next flight and get a ticket. Even though it is only about a one hour flight, you usually got meal service. LOL. The air attendants really had to move fast to get it done.)

                          George KG 1 Reply Last reply
                          • taiwan_girlT taiwan_girl

                            A country like China can do because they just tell people, "we are building a train through your house weather you move or not.'

                            Taiwan put in a high speed rail from Taipei -- Kaohsiung, the two largest cities with Taipei in the north and Kaohsiung in the south. Most of the stations are a bit out of the towns because it was very difficult to get the land.

                            (Fun fact - before the train was built, the most traveled (by number of flights) route in the world was the route between the two cities. There was about a flight every 10 minutes or so. Almost Nobody would ever buy a ticket ahead of time. You would just go to the airport, look for the next flight and get a ticket. Even though it is only about a one hour flight, you usually got meal service. LOL. The air attendants really had to move fast to get it done.)

                            George KG Offline
                            George KG Offline
                            George K
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #36

                            @taiwan_girl said in I forgot how nice it is to use the train:

                            Almost Nobody would ever buy a ticket ahead of time.

                            I remember you saying that a while ago.

                            I assume the HSR developers didn't have to flee to Morocco (?) because of the dysfunction and bureaucracy.

                            "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                            The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                            1 Reply Last reply
                            • taiwan_girlT Offline
                              taiwan_girlT Offline
                              taiwan_girl
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #37

                              fro @George-K

                              Amtrak is making a fall rail trip even sweeter by allowing travelers who book a private Roomette to bring someone along with them for free.

                              The sale, which must be booked by Oct. 31, is available for travel on most routes from Nov. 1 through Jan. 31, Amtrak shared with Travel + Leisure. Travelers can book online or by entering the promo code “C104” in the Amtrak app.

                              https://www.travelandleisure.com/amtrak-private-roomette-sale-has-bogo-prices-8734218

                              1 Reply Last reply
                              • taiwan_girlT Offline
                                taiwan_girlT Offline
                                taiwan_girl
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #38

                                for @George-K

                                For my first overnight Amtrak ride in 2021, I booked a roomette on a Viewliner train.
​ Then, in 2025, I booked a roomette on a newly upgraded Superliner train.
​ The rooms had similar layouts, but modern upgrades made the second ride much cozier.

                                https://www.businessinsider.com/differences-between-old-new-amtrak-roomettes-overnight-trains?op=1

                                1 Reply Last reply
                                • jon-nycJ Online
                                  jon-nycJ Online
                                  jon-nyc
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #39

                                  I rode an overnight train just once. From Munich to Berlin. We had a little roomette.

                                  Only non-witches get due process.

                                  • Cotton Mather, Salem Massachusetts, 1692
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