Amtrak train schedule layover question
- Thread starter CJones
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Ted
The pilot formerly known as Twin Engine Ted
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iFlyNothing
It looks like a fun trip, Chris, but if you do it you need to make sure to let me know when you're in this part of the country! Especially if you come to NYC. Make it on a weekend and I'll give y'all my grand tour. 
CJones
Final Approach
It looks like a fun trip, Chris, but if you do it you need to make sure to let me know when you're in this part of the country! Especially if you come to NYC. Make it on a weekend and I'll give y'all my grand tour.
Well, IF we do it, the dates listed in the itinerary would be within +/-1 day of when we would actually be there. If we can meet up with some 'tour guides' along the way, great, but I understand that it will be a mid-week trip and folks gotta pay the bills.
astanley
En-Route
It's roughly the same distance (390 vs 420 mi) between Paris and Munich, and Paris and Marseille. Yet, for a 10% increase in traveled distance, traveled time increases by a factor of 3.
Western Europe, as a landmass, occupies about 4 million sq km of land. The US, excluding Alaska, is about 7.4 million sq km of land.
Western Europe has about 450M people in that 4M/sq km. The US, just a hair under 301M in 7.4M/sq km.
From an infrastructure perspective, it is apples and oranges. Although, given the various national interests (SNCF, Trenitalia, National Rail), you still see some glaring infrastructure issues, like why it takes 9h to go from MUC to ORY, versus 3h to go from MRS to ORY.
Cheers,
-Andrew
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gismo
Touchdown! Greaser!
I took a train from Vancouver to Winnipeg once in the winter and it was quite disappointing scenery wise. The train expelled so much steam (from the heating system??) outside the cars that you couldn't see much during the climb into the mountains even while it was still daylight. And IIRC my departure was in the early afternoon but at that time of year sunset came pretty early. In the morning daylight east of the mountains we could see pretty well but there was absolutely nothing to see.
So if you take this trip I recommend spring or summer and a morning departure.
When I looked at the schedule it had every train leaving at 1 AM. Amtrak is notorious for running the trains through the Rockies in the dark. The only thing they got going for them is that the trains are 14 hours behind schedule so you will get to see stuff in the daylight.
flyingcheesehead
Taxi to Parking
I can see runs from Chicago through Milwaukee to the Fox cities (Appleton, Oshkosh, Fond du Lac) and from Chicago through Rockford, Madison, and up to the Twin Cities working pretty well. There are a crapload of buses that run those routes - Van Galder does Madison to Chicago and Badger does Madison to Milwaukee, both run a bus or two every couple of hours, every day of the week. That would be the problem - Making the trains big enough to carry enough pax to be profitable while at the same time small enough that they can make runs often so as to stay convenient.
etsisk
En-Route
If one were to, say, take the train from chgo to Ft. Worth with the intention of connecting to a train to OKC, for example, and the chgo train was utterly late and one misses one's connection, do they do ANYTHING to help with the overnight stay? Or would one be on my own? 
If one were to, say, take the train from chgo to Ft. Worth with the intention of connecting to a train to OKC, for example, and the chgo train was utterly late and one misses one's connection, do they do ANYTHING to help with the overnight stay? Or would one be on my own?
Sure. They have plenty of uniformed personnel to tell you you can't loiter here and to get the he* out of the way.
SteveW
Pre-Flight
You should be so lucky. Amtrak's record of being on time is orders of magnitude worse than the worst of our airline's worst times. A 4 hour layover might put you at the station just barely in time to catch the connection -- BUT you'll prolly have to sleep over until the next day and hope to catch that train.
Matthew
Touchdown! Greaser!
We used to rely on Amtrak between St Louis and Kansas City to transport my mother-in-law. It's about a 4-5 hr drive, or 10+/- on the train, partly because of the stops along the way, but mainly because Amtrak will always be a lower priority than the freight trains that use the same tracks. It wasn't uncommon that the train would stop, everybody would be moved to a bus, then driven to another station and loaded back on the train.
I think it's already been said - treat it as a VFR cross-country. You'll get there when you get there, so just try to enjoy the ride. (Think "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles")
All that said - A neighbor of mine told me he travels KC to Chicago for business about once a month and takes the train instead of flying. Just because he likes it better.
I think it's already been said - treat it as a VFR cross-country. You'll get there when you get there, so just try to enjoy the ride. (Think "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles")
All that said - A neighbor of mine told me he travels KC to Chicago for business about once a month and takes the train instead of flying. Just because he likes it better.
flyingcheesehead
Taxi to Parking
You should be so lucky. Amtrak's record of being on time is orders of magnitude worse than the worst of our airline's worst times. A 4 hour layover might put you at the station just barely in time to catch the connection -- BUT you'll prolly have to sleep over until the next day and hope to catch that train.
But that gives you LOTS of time to go sightseeing! See how thoughtful they are?
Speaking of layovers, I was going to mention that it's a bad idea to expect to sightsee on any of their layovers. In fact, a friend of mine who uses the train said that they won't allow him to book a trip with a layover less than 4 hours, IIRC - They *know* that he probably won't make the connection with only a 4-hour layover. Sad.
Hey, Bill,
They just announced that the TSA is doing the random search thing for Metra commuter trains at Chicago Union Station...as teh "quick" response only how many years after the attacks in Spain.
No mention if we get to have live M-16s pointed at us, but evidently these fine, fine, fine TSA folks have no authority or weapons. We can imagine, "You have to answer my questions if you ever want to go home again."
They just announced that the TSA is doing the random search thing for Metra commuter trains at Chicago Union Station...as teh "quick" response only how many years after the attacks in Spain.
No mention if we get to have live M-16s pointed at us, but evidently these fine, fine, fine TSA folks have no authority or weapons. We can imagine, "You have to answer my questions if you ever want to go home again."
Re: TSA train security
Hey, Bill,
They just announced that the TSA is doing the random search thing for Metra commuter trains at Chicago Union Station...as the "quick" response only how many years after the attacks in Spain.
No mention if we get to have live M-16s pointed at us, but evidently these fine, fine, fine TSA folks have no authority or weapons. We can imagine, "You have to answer my questions if you ever want to go home again."
Hey, Bill,
They just announced that the TSA is doing the random search thing for Metra commuter trains at Chicago Union Station...as the "quick" response only how many years after the attacks in Spain.
No mention if we get to have live M-16s pointed at us, but evidently these fine, fine, fine TSA folks have no authority or weapons. We can imagine, "You have to answer my questions if you ever want to go home again."
wsuffa
Touchdown! Greaser!
Re: TSA train security
If it's the same stupid kind of thing they've done in other places, you say "fine" and go get on at the next stop.
Your tax dollars at waste.
If it's the same stupid kind of thing they've done in other places, you say "fine" and go get on at the next stop.
Your tax dollars at waste.
Re: TSA train security
The next stop or even next train is not so doable by me. My next stop inbound is 3-12 miles away. The next train going home can be 1 1/2 hours later and a milk run that takes 20 minutes longer. But I guess if I saw the maroons at the station when I drove up in the morning I guess I could just drive to the next station.
Luckily, I don't have a commute any more. I'll just make a few trips in every year.
The next stop or even next train is not so doable by me. My next stop inbound is 3-12 miles away. The next train going home can be 1 1/2 hours later and a milk run that takes 20 minutes longer. But I guess if I saw the maroons at the station when I drove up in the morning I guess I could just drive to the next station.
Luckily, I don't have a commute any more. I'll just make a few trips in every year.
wsuffa
Touchdown! Greaser!
Re: TSA train security
Carry a box labeled "campaign contributions" with some money in it. See what happens.
Carry a box labeled "campaign contributions" with some money in it. See what happens.