What I learned from taking a train across the US
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- Опубликовано: 17 июл 2023
- Here’s how US train travel went from excellent to mediocre.
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If you’ve taken the Amtrak recently, you might have no idea that the United States used to have the largest and wealthiest rail system in the world. How did the US go from having luxurious, widely used passenger trains to the Amtrak system we have today?
Video producer Dean Peterson makes a 72-hour journey on Amtrak from LA to NYC to show its current state of operation. From getting kicked in the head by his sleeping seat mate to taking in sweeping views of the desert at sunset, Dean shows the highs and lows of being stuck on Amtrak for days on end.
Along the way, he explains the history of passenger rail in the US - starting in the problematic robber baron era to the US government’s takeover of passenger rail. Will the United States ever catch up to the rest of the world when it comes to train travel, or are Americans stuck with an underfunded, inefficient rail network forever? Join Dean on his journey as he sets out to find out the answer to these questions and more.
Sources:
The Great Railroad Revolution by Christian Wolmar
www.amazon.com/Great-Railroad...
Amtrak, America's Railroad: Transportation's Orphan and Its Struggle for Survival (Railroads Past and Present) by Geoffrey H. Doughty, Jeffrey T. Darbee, Eugene E. Harmon
www.amazon.com/Amtrak-America...
Conquering Gotham: Building Penn Station and Its Tunnels by Jill Jonnes
www.amazon.com/Conquering-Got...
The Pennsylvania Railroad, Volume 1: Building an Empire, 1846-1917 By Albert J. Churella
www.amazon.com/Pennsylvania-R...
Zephyrs, chiefs & other orphans ; the first five years of Amtrak by Fred W Frailey
www.amazon.com/Zephyrs-Chiefs...
The Golden Age of American Railroading by Judith Macy, Mary McInroy, and Robert McCown
www.lib.uiowa.edu/exhibits/pr...
Association of American Railroads
www.aar.org/chronology-of-ame...
More information about roadway deaths vs. train deaths from the US Department of Transportation: www.transportation.gov/NRSS/S...
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Supplemental material:
“Men labored all day at the baking of breads and cakes for feasts for the rich and children labored from dawn to midnight and slept all greasy and grimed as they were upon rough pallets on the floor and staggered to the ovens next day, and there was not money enough given to buy a piece of the rich breads they made for others.” - Modern Day (“Wealthy & Powerful”) USA/GOP Economic Policy + Walmart -or- THE GOOD EARTH by Pearl S. Buck?
Now do the same in Europe
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Glad the end conclusion is what most people get out of taking the train. Introspection and you realize, it's a GREAT experience really!
The hypocricy in all of this is that people NEVER say that the highways or roads, which are only a thing because of subsidies, need to make a profit. We understand that public infrastructure doesn't need to make a profit for it to be valuable.
@@OakIslandPictures And specifically in the US most freight is moved by rail so that argument isn't even really relevant.
If public transit makes a profit is actually bad, because it means the money they get doesn't get reimvested into even more public transit
@@hedgehog3180A problem is that freight trains have priority over passenger trains.
Turn highways into tollways infrastructure ain’t free
@@nedludd7622wanna know a pattern HSR usually reverses ridership decline everywhere it’s deployed
I think an overlooked aspect of trains is that most train stations were built in the city center, rather than the far-flung outskirts. When you arrive at your destination, you step out into the middle of the city where you can easily connect to other transit, rather than having to take an hour long taxi or ask someone to pick you up.
And Phoenix not being one of them
Unlike highways train stations need to be in city centers for them to work.
@@Filmandsushirollshonestly couldn’t even tell you where the train station is in Phoenix. Coming from an Uber driver, that’s terrible 😭
That's not true. There are plenty of old train stations across the hinterlands and rural cities in America that have either been demolished or converted into homes or businesses. Cities across the US used to be as well-connected with trains, trams, and commuter trains as the MetroNorth and NJ Transit still connect the NYC Metropolitan area, for example.
Station in the city center is real cool, but is also make it real expansive to expand or update.
In 2011,I took the Amtrak train from Los Angeles back to New York. Yes it was stressful and uncomfortable at times. But there were some moments from the trip that were unbelievably gorgeous. I really wish we would invest more in train travel instead of our metal boxes. The passengers on the trains were very friendly and it felt more like a community because you could spark up a conversation with strangers, ask where they were headed and even get a bit of back story. I'd definitely do it again.
ok yes, but like just so we’re clear, trains are also metal boxes.
@@nutboi6093 But bigger, roomier metal boxes
@@nutboi6093 😆😆
I had a nice experience too when I took Amtrak from Miami to Philadelphia in 2019. Never would I have imagined sitting at a table in the dining car having a conversation with some 60yr old Russian man (who looked great for his age), and just conversing with strangers who all had different stories and reasons for where they were going. Also you gotta love that you can take two carry-on bags AND two checked bags all for free!
I had the same experience having amazing conversations with people I met, and enjoying the incredible scenery.
For those who would consider this aside from the lack of shower: Chicago Union Station has the Metropolitan Lounge where you can go to get access to showers and a nice lounge area. I'm not sure why he didn't seem to go there since I'm fairly positive you get access included when you have a sleeper car, but if you don't have one, you can get a day pass for $35.
It's always worth it in my opinion. Even when I only have a 2 hour layover, I get one for the priority boarding, free snacks and drinks, more comfortable waiting space, and LUGGAGE STORAGE. They have a storage room where you can store your bags and not have to carry them around the city. Every time I'm there, I stash my bags in the room and walk down to The Bean. Highly recommend doing that instead of carrying everything like he did.
There was also a shower available in his Chicago to NY sleeper car
There are lockers in Union Station too, even if you don't want to use the lounge! 😊
Even greyhound stations have lockers! 😑. The guy just wants to do a hatchet job on public transportation.
@@newagain9964 I'd call it bringing attention to America's need for improvement in public transportation, on the contrary
@@sentientarugula2884 bruh. We already know needs improvement. But the result of the video is ppl avoiding using Amtrak/public transit, not them demanding more funding.
My brother's a car guy, and even he would prefer high speed trains over driving a car in traffic. Goes to show how much worse cities in the US and Canada have become since the 1950s.
There's definately a difference between having a choice and being forced to drive.
When I think about the decline of trains, I remember of the plot of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and that some car manufacturers really did buy the transit systems in some cities to run it into the ground so that people would have to buy cars.
@@56independent42 Very true. It's not that I want cars to completely disappear, I want to ride the train when I want and bike when I want and drive when I want.
I’ve found that a lot of “car guys” are perfectly reasonable in terms of wanting better non-car infrastructure because of nowadays it’s hard to really enjoy having a car in most built up places
Most people would
A good followup to this excellent video would be to send Dean on a train trip across Europe or Asia to showcase just how massive the discrepancy is between the US and the rest of the world when it comes to train travel.
Definitely across Europe. Maybe a trip from the North of France to the South of Italy of something or even a circle around Europe
@@littel-nq3no across China would work too. an argument people use against trains in north america is that "it's too big and everything is close in Europe." China is the same size as the US or Canada.
@@littel-nq3noThe upper deck of the NightJet train from Cologne to Italy has lots of room, multiple stations in its in-cabin bathroom, and quite a view. It has a table as well. The decor might be utilitarian.
Across Thailand and Malaysia would work too!
@@iansteelmatheson Yes, though China has 94% of its population living in 43% of its country (East of the Heihe-Tengchong Line). To do something similar to them it would make sense to use high-speed railways mostly along the East Coast as well as NYC-Chicago.
It doesn't really make sense to put money into railways west of Kansas City except for the West Coast as well as probably LA-Vegas and San Diego-Phoenix.
I’ve been taking Amtrak trips from emeryville, CA to Denver every year since I was 3 and I’ve always been fascinated with trains. Train travel is so underrated and relaxing. I remember when they used to play games and show movies at night time. It was easy to meet other travelers along the way.
I just went from the East Coast to Denver but I had many people tell me that Emery to Denver part of the route is one of the most beautiful routes Amtrak has (that and Coast Starlight). I definitely want to take some more train trips but it will have to be with a roomette for certain!
Emeryville has a pretty cool mayor!
As a retired person, I chose the USA Rail pass to check off some bucket list items. The positives outweigh the negatives in my opinion. Meeting people from every walk of life and having time and space to do it without commitment to the future is the best part. You neglected to mention that virtually every station is in the heart of the city, in contrast to airports being farther away, so , you actually arrive at your destination directly. I could go on and on, but the last thing I want to say is the historical perspective in comparing Europe's current railway situation is that WWII destroyed the railways there, and so all have been rebuilt. Our system is largely more than 150 years old...twice as old.
WW II had only a minor influence. You do not destroy a whole railway track, just some short stretches which are repaired within a year. The current network is even smaller than it was in the begin of the 20th century, during the golden age of railway.
@@Henning_Rechwhen the majority of the large cities are reduced to rubble, you get to rebuild around new right of ways, not just on top of the old system. After living in Italy for three years and making extensive use of the rail network, their trains enjoy the best routes available. They also have nationalized systems that allow for them to place passenger trains in priority, since their freight trains don’t have to competition. The problem in the United States is that our volume of freight moved by trains is magnitudes higher, so nationalization would not end up solving our problem.
As stated, at the time of Amtrak’s creation, less than four percent of revenue was from passengers. The cataclysmic event that caused our Class I railroads to become deregulated was the failure of the PennCentral Railroad. That is another story all on its own as the Government did form Conrail which operated like Amtrak as a government corporation, the a for profit private company, until 1999.
@@streetfightinmanrs Europe is similar to Japan in the manner they handle long distance shipping, they actually use ships. Unlike America that ships bulk goods by trains and trucks up to three thousand miles, Europeans and Japanese use ships to their coastal sea ports... Japan is several islands, Europe has numerous seas. The Black, Agean, Tyrrhenian, Mediterranean, Adriatic, North, Barents, Irish, and Baltic seas. Even the trucks use ferries to use the sea... Most likely with so many different tiny nations compared to the one or two large North American nations, shipping by sea is more logical for Europeans...
Honestly, given how deliberately starved for resources Amtrak is, it's remarkable how good of a service it's actually able to provide. Especially if you're in the Northeast US, Chicago, or along the West Coast. Train Travel is a phenomenal way to get around. No traffic, no TSA, just a book and some scenery while I drink a coffee. Would recommend to anyone.
Edit: I wanted to add that much of what makes Amtrak so special and as good as it is is the hard work of the crew of very dedicated and passionate attendants, conductors, engineers, and mechanics that keep it running despite the odds.
Recent took Amtrak from Ann Arbor to Chicago and it was really good for the price. Barely slower than driving. Won’t do it any other way (unless I need a car).
I also recently took the Amtrak from Ann Arbor to Chicago and then from Chicago to Milwaukee. It was a pleasant experience, cheaper and easier than driving or flying because the train station is within walking distance of where I live!
@@casperguo7177First vacation my wife and I took when we were first dating was Amtrak from Holland to Chicago and let me tell you, it was sooo much better than having to worry about tolls or where to park/paying to park, etc.
The midwest and west coast state pay for that service. Pre 2008 the Surfliner had 4RT daily covered by Amtrak while the rest were covered by the state because it was a route Amtrak took over from ATSF. Sense then it along will all other corridor routes in california have been entirely state funded using state owned rolling stock. Amtrak provides crews and some customer service stuff and thats it
The roads are not doing so hot either!!!
I want Amtrak to expand. I want them to innovate. Weve become too focused on highways and planes
Especially since air travel is no doubt the most horrible way to travel.
@@bubba842 it's the safest
I want the Japanese trains. Amtrak is plain slow
@@matthewwelsh294 The American worker cannot be trusted to handle gear like the Japanese do. To put high speed trains in the hands of drugged up Americans is a death wish.
Who is we?
The USPS stopped shipping mail on the passenger rail service in baggage cars. When they shipped mail on passenger lines they offered the railroads bonuses for being on time so the railroads gave passenger service priority and the railroads were privately and publicly owned. Once USPS pulled the mail the rail service went downhill fast.
The largest passenger railroad in America operating the northeast corridor went bankrupt without their mail contracts. This bankruptcy forced Congress to create the Amtrak we have today... Mind you the USPS chose to fly the mail long before UPS and FedEx were a thing...
Good point
Congress revoked the Mail Contracts in 1967, long before Amtrak (1971).
Interesting! Thank you for that information!
I have taken the overnight Amtrak train from DC to Boston, leaves 10pm, has a 3 hour layover in NYC, and arrives in Boston at 9 am. It makes many stops and takes on all types of cargo including sacks of US Mail and newspapers.
Amtrak’s Northeast Regional was my primary mode of travel between home and college for holiday and summer breaks. It was affordable, easily accessible via public transit on both ends, and always a good experience. I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for Amtrak. ❤😊
Over the summer I’m having the pleasure of staying in Japan for a month (studying the language). It’s incredible, the feeling you get, of sitting down in this countries bullet trains, and seeing the countryside go by and incredible speeds. It feels like it’s almost a space ship. Don’t get me wrong, flying is cool too, but there’s something mesmerizing about trains that are actually awesome. And, there’s a ton more legroom than on an airplane.
and don't have to go to the airport. you can just get off in middle of the city, where ofc, already well connected with other local trains and metro
imagine a shinkansen between new york and los angles. The flexibility and the frequency would be amazing, so that you can simply go to the other side of the country without any plan.
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Thank you for your kind words about my country!
We also have some specialty, resort and sightseeing trains to visit if you want an even more beautiful experience. I don't know where you'll be staying, but I recommend you look into it!
I hope you have a good time here, from a fellow train enthusiast (｡･ω･｡)ﾉ♡
As someone living in Ireland which is the most underdeveloped country in Europe in rail infrastructure and one of the most car centric, I recently had the pleasure of visiting Reus, Tarragona, Barcelona and Madrid. Compared to the standards of Irish public transport, being able to seemlessly travel around Catalonia by regional train and then taking a high speed train from Barcelona to Madrid truly felt like a luxury to me.
I once rode a train (german ICE) 6 hours to Hamburg and my mate and I were basically sitting in the bistro / food carriage the whole time and were drinking beers. Best time of my life. :D
Dear friends in the US, DEMAND trains.
Glad you had a great experience with our trains here in Germany :D
Some unfortunately get to only make terrible experiences when visiting
It is getting better. Take a look at the new Florida high speed rail. It’s called Brightline. Currently going from Miami to Orlando with a few stops in between. With the Tampa connection being completed by 2027 and Jacksonville by 2030, nearly the whole state will be connected.
@@righteousmammon9011 Oh that's really good to hear as a Floridian. I'll remember 2027
Air travel surpasses train travel in terms of availability and frequency in the United States. While train service can offer competition on shorter city pairs within a three-hour driving distance or approximately a 45-minute flight, its true competitive edge emerges when factoring in the time spent on TSA procedures and potential delays at major airports. However, when it comes to longer distances, flying remains unbeatable in terms of efficiency and speed.
@@mrparts why are you copy pasting chatgpt lol
I did a five day train trip from LA to Greenville, and honestly I enjoyed every minute of it. It was really cool to see how much farmland is in the US, along with seeing the greenery and lakes in Colorado. I really appreciated being able to explore this part of the country.
I tried to book a trip from LA to South Carolina but I keep getting an error I guess they don’t have trains going that way
@@meep2253 You have to understand Amtrak's routes. The southern most east west line is the Sunset Limited, but it runs four times a week in both directions, not daily. I am sure if you change dates of traveling, the Amtrak software will kick in a proper response. Most likely with one train from LA to NO, and then a NO to northern SC train thru Atlanta with the Crescent... Amtrak routes are linear, and not nearly as numerous as airline routes which are point to point...
Hi from Europe. This summer I took two trips from London to Napoli. The first time I went by train and flew back. The second time I took the train for both legs of the journey. There was no problems with that flight, and yet the whole experience was a problem. Until recently I would say "i go by train if there route is available". Now I say "I will NEVER take a flight if I can get there by train".
The trains in Italy are amazing. My wife and I covered a lot of Italy on Le Frecce, from Venice to Napoli plus four other cities, and the experience was just outstanding. The only bad thing is that the "quiet" cars are never really quiet, unless you happen to coincide with only German/Swiss/Nordic passengers 🤣
After studying abroad & living in Germany, I think one of the big problems outside of Amtrak itself is the effectiveness of "last mile transport" and public transit in general. How you get to that destination once you disembark from a mainline is easier in a big city (subway, commuter rail, etc.). However, in Germany, local buses use train stations as a hub to get you to within walking distance not within town but also in some countryside areas too. Also the DB app is God tier. But in a small town here in the States, you are often dependent on someone picking you up from the station. I think the rise of Uber & Lyft, actually add value to the effectiveness of Amtrak as an alternative. You can fund Amtrak better, but better addressing public transit in general in mid-size cities would definitely reinforce ridership.
🎯 @ “last mile transport”
It's almost like the suburbs are bad
new yorks one of the few cities that does this well, the all the big train stations are directly connected to the subway
yeah in USA there are so few cities with a cohesive transit system. To be fair, this is a major problem with air travel, too.
To be fair the DB is now lagging in times and funding recently.
When I was 21, way back in the Pleistocene (1991), I took Amtrak from Union Station in LA to Atlanta. I had a pass that allowed me to jump off and on the train at every stop to wander and check out the sights. It was an awesome, life-changing trip that really gave me perspective on just how vast this country is and to get a taste of regional cultures. I would do it again in a heartbeat. Is Amtrak hiring? Hmm...
Does this pass still exist? What's it called?
@@dominicspatola1774 Yes, it's called the USA Rail Pass.
I have used the Railpass this year, but I don't know if it is the same thing you used back then. The Railpass gives you 10 "Segments" to use within 30 days. Each segment you get off the train and back on, probably the next day when the next train goes through or another connecting train, uses up one of your 10 segments. So you really need to know all the quirks about planning your trip to get the most out of the 10 segments. The Texas Eagle/Sunset Limited, for example, from Chicago all the way to Los Angeles is considered just 1 segment. But so is a short trip on Pacific Surfliner from LA to Anaheim-counts as 1 segment. So try to figure out the most for your pass. I just went from Dallas to Chicago, Chicago to Washington DC, DC to Orlando, FL. and back. This used 6 segments total of my 10. I still had 4 more segments left that I used for 2 other trips, all of course within 30 days. Railpass was $500 but sometimes they have a discounted price for $400 or $300. The regular ticket for just Dallas to Orlando would have been about $750. Keep in mind too, Railpass is for Coach Seating only, no private sleeper rooms for this deal. But this a really a great value. You can plan a trip across the country with stops in between each long segment and have a great time. I will do this again sometime.
@@robby935 I've used the rail pass in December 2022 and March 2023. And, I hope to be able to use one again to go from Pittsburgh to Seattle and down the west coast. I'm 69 years old so retired and have time to do this, but it is harder on an older body. Planning for comfort is key.6
...on just how vast this country is???
But a trucker (me) who's driven all around the country over and over will tell you just how small it is.
As a european, at first I was thinking "this train is a bit old but is actually not that bad." Then I remember you'll have to sleep in it for 2 nights in a row.
A number of years ago I took the train cross-Canada and I loved it. Every morning we woke up in a different postcard, because the geography outside the window had changed: mountains, prairie, boreal forest, urban, maritime. The sleeper and dining cars were great, and like you just seeing the amazing landscape was a lovely part of the experience. A vacation where the trip was the destination. Having experienced the joy of rail travel in Japan and Europe I yearn for similar levels of capability and capacity here in North America, especially between the many city clusters where high speed rail would be king. Really sobering and sad to see the funding disparity between the federal highway budget (which, BTW, earns no money) and Amtrack funding (that is decried for not earning enough money). Thank you for this exploration and for putting this out there.
I suppose that's great if you have all the time and money in the world.
"federal highway budget (which, BTW, earns no money)"
Costs about 50 billion per year, and they collect about 50 Billion per year in fuel taxes. That doesn't even account for the additional ecomomic activity provided by the transportation infrastructure.
@@JohnSmith-cn4cw Exactly. It's done through taxes, because it facilitates economic activity and the pleasure of the citizens. That same thinking ought to be applied to railroads and railway travel.
@@KannikCat Agreed, create a tax associated with train usage and use it on track maintenance,
Amtrak is a hidden gem. If you have the extra time, it’s worth it
And extra money, cause "first class" on amtrak is expensive
IF!!!!! Most people don’t have that time speed it up no more excuses
@@jaybob324 Coach isn't cheap, either. I love the train, but honestly, there's no point in taking it anywhere aside from to have the experience.
Chinese and Japanese bullet trains are gems. Amtrak, ... granite maybe but no Onyx
@@MattTee1975 Not true, I take Amtrak to get places because air travel is stressful and people are rude, Amtrak is just the opposite
Oh it's such a long trip, many people say. I took the Trans-Siberian train from Beijing to Moscow, with a one-week break in Mongolia. The longer leg of the trip was about 5 days, and all the foreign tourists were on the same car. We had so much fun we didn't want to get off! That was in 1992.
that sounds like an awesome trip!
That sounds like an interesting story to tell
On that topic, I am Dutch and me and my family usually go down south (the med really) for summer holidays and always go there by car (we need to take our caravans with us, don't ask, it's a Dutch thing) which usually means a 3-day roadtrip to cover a significantly shorter distance than what Dean travelled in roughly the same timespan, it's frankly astounding to me that he even could go cross-continent in as little time as it took. And for everyone who thinks that such a 3-day travel will ruin your holiday, trust me it won't, for me it actually kind of sets me up mentally to relax when I'm at my destination.
I’ll add that to my list.
I suppose it may be two unrelated things though. Your trip (it sounds) was about the journey whereas people who comment about it being long are about the destination (a to b). That sort of train travel about the journey should be more popularized like on-land cruising. Ocean cruise from Seattle to Juneau or fly it. Just depends on what you're trying to do. Rocky Mountaineer does "land cruising" well and I think Amtrak has a couple like these.
I've taken Amtrak over short distances (one end of New York State to the other) a couple of times, and I loved it. If you consider the ride to be part of your vacation, as opposed to something to just survive before starting the real vacation, it can be very pleasant. If you're curious about seeing what it's like, I'd recommend the RUclips channel Downie Live. He takes long-distance trains around the US and Canada (and sometimes short-distance, idiosyncratic trains).
DownieLive has interesting videos
I have done both halves of that journey; Ive gone from St Louis to LA and back (one leg in a sleeper car!), I've gone from St Louis to Albuquerque in coach, and I've gone from Chicago to New York in coach. Taking the train is slower than flying, but even in coach class, its far more enjoyable than any plane. The simplicity of just being able to stand up and walk around the train and go sit in the observation car is miles better than being confined to your seat for a whole flight. Trains are also generally quieter than planes; sure you might get the occasional screechy child or iPad kid, but there is no drone of jet engines. You can actually hear yourself think. Taking the train also lets you actually see the country, not just fly above it. You can see beautiful scenery and parts of the country you might never otherwise see (if it isn't night time). And even if you have to sleep in a coach class seat, there is still more leg room and the seats are comfier than economy class in a plane, on par with business or first class on a plane. If Amtrak could actually go more places, I would take the train every time.
Taking a train across the States must’ve been an exhilarating experience. You’re not restricted to simply flying as a passenger on the plane or taking your car for a road trip.
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I will say as someone who avidly wants to see rail travel return to the US regionally and in cities, even if Amtrak had $100B they could not make LA to NY a pragmatic rail trip. It's a good pleasure cruise to see the country though. I guess maybe if they could make it substantially cheaper than airline tickets it might be somewhat viable. Even in Europe a train ride that lasts 8 hours or more is not really worth it compared to flying.
@@Drkbowers1ctually no. Firstly, you are almost certainly implying the train is just LA to NY with no other stops like a plan would go, which just isn't how trains work.
What would happen is that you would have train lines that connect big cities in a certain area, like in the north east of the US almost every big city would have high speed rail connections, and then you would have connections between those, and then from those big cities you would be able to go to smaller lines.
You would probably have a train from LA to a big city in the Midwest or the south, I would guess somewhere in texas but IDK, I don't know how to plan out rail lines, and then get a connection from there to new York. You would also stop along the way for various cities.
It would be far more viable to do this than to fly planes, because with a single plane, you only ship passengers from one place to another, with a train, you are shipping passagers to every single stop along the way. This is more time efficient, as while for the trip a train is longer, getting through an airport is a lot longer than getting through a train station, and will almost certainly be cheaper, trains are cheaper to run than planes.
@@jambott5520 No way did you really do the "Akshually 🤓". It's almost like I specifically said LA to NY, which is what was shown in the video.
I'm not against train tracks existing on the route, I'm saying no one is going to take a train from LA to NY unless it's also to view the geography, visit the cities along the way, etc. Somebody that regularly has business in LA and NY will fly. Now would they take a train from LA to a city in a neighboring state? Sure, but that's not what I was even talking about.
@@Drkbowers1a rail line that connects both cities does make sense tho, as it will be connected to various large cities along the way, do we agree? Yeah, no one will use it to go across the ENTIRE country but it works for everyone to have it connect to so many cities including NYC and LA
Great piece.
If the funding of rail vs highways was better split the fact is almost everyone would still fly cross country. But (this is something the video didn’t touch on much) if corridors like Portland - Seattle, Orlando - Miami, the North East, etc etc had not be gutted, then people would still be considering train over cars or flying for mid distance travel.
Funding inner-city public transport + intra-city rail would mean less cars on the road, less pollution, and more options for everyone.
high speed rail in the north east is a no brainer. boston, nyc, washington dc, pennsylvania. it's so obvious and yet the US is just so tunnel visioned on cars, it hasnt happened
That's what I was thinking, even if Amtrak had $100B they could not make LA to NY a pragmatic rail trip. It's a good pleasure cruise to see the country though. I guess maybe if they could make it substantially cheaper than airline tickets it might be somewhat viable. I would almost say this video shows the least important aspect of rail travel. Like you mentioned, inner-city and regional is where it's at.
@@critiqueofthegothgf It could be done, but the purchasing the right of way is just too expensive in 2023. If they had done this right after World War II to build a dedicated high-speed line between Boston and Washington, DC (when land acquisiton costs were way cheaper), we would have had consistently fast 150 mph trains between Boston and DC by the early 1970's.
@@Sacto1654We have the money for it, which is the sad part. Ultimately, if we push politicians to vote for it, we absolutely can have a system rivaling Europe in as little as 20 years. But little to no political will blocks it all
There have been proposals for triangular rail service between major cities in Texas and Florida, but the airlines lobbied to bury them.
Amtrak is a cheap way to move boxes cross-country. It cost me about $200 to ship my stuff from Ohio to California and then about $250 to ship it again from California to Florida.
This was great to watch. Would be interested in seeing Dean try out similar experiences in countries that have significantly invested in their national rail systems.
The optimistic side of me believes we can achieve some serious improvements soon. I mean, train travel hasn't been as much of a hot topic in the U.S. for decades. All that's left is to convince the politicians with control of the budgeting to let Amtrak get more money (and maybe to give the highways a bit less?) while also making it clear that Amtrak being "for profit" shouldn't be the goal. It's a public service, and should be funded like one.
"...soon."
No.
@@Urbanhandyman you clearly missed where I said the "optimistic side" of me. I know it's a far shot, but let me dream lol
Almost around >70% of the American public (iirc) wanted rail transport, but what's holding them back. Politicians.... And even if they also wanted them too... you want to know what's also holding them back as well?
Aviation and oil industries.
Of course, there will be some more factors on what's holding the rail transport back other than the things I just mentioned (because these are what I can know of and always think of)
i think there's been an increase an public demand for walkable cities and viable public transportation. once california HSR kicks off, it should lead to the start of something new
@@ROBLOXGamingDavid Say it like it is, oil, auto & the likes are buying those traitors
I checked the Amtrak website and they said “Amtrak will invest over $50 billion into modern trains, enhanced stations and facilities, new tunnels and bridges, and other critical infrastructure upgrades.” I’m happy to hear this is FINALLY happening, I enjoy train travel for short distances but the age and look of the trains are a huge turn off.
Most of that package is to upgrade the northeast corridor, not much of that package is to help fund HSR in California, Texas, or Florida, much less improve main line and short line Amtrak rails nationwide... While the folks riding Amtrak on the northeast corridor may save 15 minutes on their less than 3 hours journeys, the rest of America will have to carry on as is...
Most of that money is going to critical infrastructure projects on the Northeast Coridor so it won't fall apart. We've fallen so far from the mark...
@@ronclark9724most of the money needs to go to the new, it’s over 100 years old and provides for the entire northeast, not to mention it’s one of only profitable corridors. The rest is going to rolling stock upgrades, infrastructure, crew, and investigation for new rail lines. There’s not much they can do for any other Main line bc Amtrak only owns less than 20% of the track it operates on. The rest is owned by private freight carriers.
it's almost like the north east corridor is where the vast majority of demand for rail travel is located and where it is the most feasible due to density of high populace areas in a relatively small region. Money gets reinvested into public transport infrastructure in the north east because we actually use it and a return can be seen. I constantly see people in places like the west coast and Texas/Florida complain about these issues but the reality is that there isn't enough demand/usage of existing services to warrant their expansion from a policy perspective, and it is why it hasn't happened. @@ronclark9724
I'm from Brazil and I love watching these train journeys across the US. Unfortunately, here we don't have a rail network like that to cross the country. And traveling by plane in Brazil (especially during vacation months) is very expensive!
This is when the bus kicks in....
Thank you for this piece. I love trains! My father worked for the railroad BEFORE Amtrak. Amtrak USED to be better, but they have let their equipment run down. Yes, Amtrak is chronically late. Freight trains have track priority. But I appreciate your closing perspective. Riding the train in only partially about getting from point A to point B. It is an experience. Sit back, relax and enjoy the view. If you can swing it (and book it) I recommend getting a sleeper. Better by far than a budget cruise! And less likely to get Covid!
good points except i’m not really understanding the cruise comparison at all, they are two very different experiences (one is literally on land while the other in the ocean) lol. also nothing you said has anything in relation to what a cruise does so i don’t understand the comparison
@@TackyFlamingo Maybe he should have said a land cruise on a train. A train as you noted is not a ship with nearly as many amenities as a ship...
Transit RUclips channels have been talking about this for a long time. If there's ever any big federal investment in passenger rail that matches the highway investment, then most of it should go to developing high capacity corridors such as the Northeast, Texas Triangle, Minneapolis to Chicago to St Louis, Kansas City to Columbus, West Coast, New Orleans to DC, etc. This will increase popularity in large population centers and overtime increase the demand for longer cross continental routes.
Orangepilled
Why does it have to be federal investment? Why can’t we have rich dudes fight for our hard earned dollars and get the barbershop back on the rails?
@@sheilag2231 Because the CEO’s of car companies give massive bribes to politicians to keep trains perpetually underfunded. Sorry, they’re not bribes, they’re “campaign donations”.
The money other “rich dudes” can bribe politicians with is nothing compared to the car companies.
@@sheilag2231 Not sure where you're at with this, but that'd be good too. Imagine if Elon Musk used that passion he has for "owning Libs" on twitter on trying to better public transportation. It'd be cool! But that won't happen...
So, let's utilize the money we already have and collect from the taxpayers. Let's re-direct the funds toward better public transportation. (We should also make billionaires pay a ton more in taxes... but that's a discussion for another time)...
@@win_jayden simple term in saying let private companies run and own the rails again.
May I ask a question? Why do you hate going to the DMV, social security office, the court house, other government buildings to do business but yet you think that same government would ever make rail service better? More money won’t solve the problem.
A few things: you enjoyed it more than I thought you would! But also:
1. You really did miss out not getting a sleeping car for the Southwest Chief. Not only did you miss a bed, but you missed out on “traditional dining”, which means meal service with freshly-cooked food that’s probably close to your romanticized early 1900s idea of train food (not quite as good, but close). They now offer it for some coach passengers out west, but perhaps not at the time of filming (and even now, only on a limited basis). Currently, most eastern trains have “flexible dining”, which is worse food that’s pre-heated rather than cooked fresh. It’s not terrible, but it’s not great either.
2. You mention needing a shower at the hotel in New York. Perhaps you didn’t notice, but, the Viewliner I sleeping car you were in actually has a shower! It’s surprisingly clean, and has surprisingly good water pressure and warmth! It’s usually comparable to a landslide shower. It’s an amazing luxury and amenity on a moving train! There is also a seat and grab bars in case the track is bumpy.
Right? He complains about not having a shower, yet books a roomette which one of their features is having a communal shower. It's like what research did they do before booking?
He also complained about not having Wifi.
Like, the guy couldn't think of anything else to do without having a phone or tablet In his hand. Ever heard of a book??
I always think how these people would have survived 20 years ago.
They are so entitled and have such limited imagination. I feel embarrassed for them. 12:46
@@TheOnlyBongo lol...
@@bubba842 he said he read a book
@@bubba842 you apparently have limited comprehension. Later in the video he mentions reading a book. Perhaps pay attention before going off on a bizarre furious tirade.
I took a train ride for the first time on Amtrak and though the ride was long as hell…I enjoyed the experience overall. Great leg room. You can get up and walk to other train cars, the passengers and staff on my train were nice and it was like a community of folks to talk to. We made stops for breaks. I’d do it again.
I feel like the purpose of a travel like this isn't for a logical travel to visit family, but to enjoy the view across the country and its just a novel idea. Also, im so glad im seeing so much more content lately about the flaws in the US railroad system so hopefully maybe something may change
when I was a young teen, me and my folks went to Oregon by rail from Massachusetts. To say it was an adventure was an understatement. I met some of the most fascinating people on that trip, and saw some of the most amazing parts of the US. We went across the northern US when we went west and took the southern route when we returned. This is how I got to see the west for the first time. At that point, I could say to others, I have crossed the great divide. I guess you can only say this if you drive or take rail. Despite it's shortcomings, rail travel is an amazing experience and I think you should do it at least once in your lifetime.
Absolutely. A trip like that is great as an experience, where the goal is to see many different parts of the country. If you're just interested in getting from Massachussetts to Oregon though (especially if that's a trip that you make regularly) then air travel is far superior due to its cost, speed and safety.
Moving to UK from the US has made me appreciate train travel so much. I don't have a car here and I don't need one. I can get pretty much anywhere in the country on a train, and they come frequently. (Although the UK trains do have their own issues with privatization too and because of this workers are often on strike and prices for tickets can be high.) I love just being able to sit back, relax, listen to music, read, and watch the countryside go by, without having to worry about directions, or stopping for gas, or traffic, or anything like that. I hope rail connections can improve in the US because it would be invaluable to everyone.
Well, the good news is that there are a few cities in the US with good metro rail (New York, Boston, DC, Chicago, Philly, and SF all comes to mind). However, if you ever want to leave your city, and go somewhere quieter/more rural, your only reasonable option is pretty much a car.
Leaves on the tracks in the UK are a big problem.
I took the trip from Chicago to New York on Amtrak earlier this year, and honestly I loved it. Long distance rail travel is geniunely something special
I've traveled across the entire US via train on several occasions and its always been a great experience. It allows you to slow down, relax and enjoy the beauty of this country. We don't always have to be in a hurry to get where we are going. Life is the ride, the journey, not the destination. I fly when a deadline dictates it but my preference will always be train.
....and oh yeah, I'm a boomer (i.e. lover of automobiles) and even I know we have to break this car habit. It is just ridiculously unstainable and has really made a mess in general of our cities and surrounding environs.
I'm right there with you! It is about the journey and the scenery and people you meet on a train are amazing.
I love cars and I love driving. But I would love more to have good public transportation, railroads, and high speed rail. Especially after a recent trip to Japan where they excel in these areas, its so frustrating to not have these same services available in "the greatest country on earth"
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
It will also reduce traffic, making the roads and highways safer and faster for drivers! It's a win-win for everyone but many people don't see the benefits. I really hope train travel expands and improves in the US soon.
Well you were technically in a us territory.
Don't forget China. China has a lot of high speed rail lines without freight trains.
@@larryfoster8820Japan is not, nor has ever been, a U.S. territory. The closest it ever got was it's occupation by the U.S. military from 1945 to 1955
The rail systems in Europe and South East Asia bring our own trains to shame. We're a hundred years behind the rest of the world.
That's because we pioneered the rail system first, they're so old we can't have bullet trains on them.
Europeans don't relie on trains for long-distance freight and bulk cargo.
@@shiven513 you think high speed trains were the first train tracks in japan or france? This is a terrible argument lol
@@shiven513 That's a lie though, the UK pioneered railways and they do in fact have an issue that many of their railways were built for a small loading gauge and it's therefore hard to run modern trains on them. Though even then the UK does have a bit of high speed rail and is constructing more. The US however doesn't have any of this issue, it's rail system was built for speed from the start because of the vast distances and relatively open terrain, and the loading gauge is huge because of the massive locomotives American railway companies liked to use. It wouldn't be hard to just upgrade American railways to a modern standard and then run proper high speed rail on them. There's nothing stopping the US from adopting ETCS and just rolling it out nationwide just like Denmark has been doing.
But even then, really high-speed rail are limited to only a small number of corridors. And Germany has a massive problem where building dedicated high-speed lines are hard to do due to a lot of NIMBYism in that country. And a lot of people are questioning if building High Speed 2 from London to northern England is actually worth the rumored nearly £90 billion cost.
9:44
"When I woke up, we had reached Ohio"
Sounds like the start of a horror film.
especially given that meme that i do not want to talk about because you (and/or everyone else) know already... (unless you didn't)
Thanks for this. I crossed the US as a tourist, including NY to LA on trains, several times in the 80s and 90s. Fantastic trips and scenery, and I met some really interesting people on the trains. Whilst the trains have come down from the days of the Super Chief and 20th Century limited you see in movies, the scenery was still amazing, and all of the trips were much nicer than flying.
Next time instead of seeing America, experience America laying over in some small town or large city in the middle of these long routes... Any city or town will do, usually within walking distance of the train station or depot there is a hotel or B&B to spend a night, if only to spend the time of day at the local fishing hole... How many times when riding through a town you wished you could spend a day there? Well, do... The best place to feel America's heart is at the local diner...
This was an interesting watch. Always wondered how train travel outside of India was. Thx for this video. I like traveling by indian trains
@@elfrjz Yeah, despite lifting 40 million people out of poverty in 9 years(a feat that no one else has achieved), yeah, he's bad just because he's not a liberal. Right?
@@elfrjzyay Modi!
@@elfrjzthanks for coming out of the usual religio-political view and appreciating some real development in India❤
I’m no expert in this, but my intuition says Amtrak should prioritize developing relatively shorter distance routes in between “major” cities. If you look at the Hiawatha route b/t Chicago and Milwaukee, this one tends to have great ratings. You could easily justify doing this for the Midwest to East Coast, where cities are much closer together. The Western US could also benefit from this as well, don’t get me wrong. Another factor that could increase ridership is modernizing the train stations, and making them more aesthetically pleasing. I’m looking at you, INDIANAPOLIS TRAIN STATION.
Cleveland to NYC is another awesome route because you don't need the car in NYC. Book far enough in advance and it's usually around $45 a person.
Oh, and Cleveland's train station is just a glorified bus stop right next to the Brown's stadium and it's confusing to get to with a car due to one-way roads.
What laws would make that happen?
I think the law says that the federal government only funds long distance routes of national importance while shorter routes have to be funded by the states. So Republican states in the Midwest are unlikely to get short train routes because they don’t want to fund them. That’s why Chicago has good connections to cities on Illinois’ borders and to Democratic cities like Detroit and Milwaukee, but has nothing to Ohio or Indianapolis.
Train service can only compete with planes or car driving if it is frequent enough between cities less than 3 hours away driving (180 miles). As an example, see the busy train corridors like Rome-Florence. where the train is the most convenient option used by the general public as well as frequent business travelers.
Pretty accurate statement. Trains work best when they connect major population hubs. It's what they're best at.
I got a nonstop from DC to Denver for $80 on southwest. Flight was 3 hours and I got my own row. I love trains, but you can’t compete with that.
i took amtrak from boston to providence, only 19 minutes & was impressed with the service
I went from New Orleans to Seattle, it was 5 days. Most amazing journey: I had a private room, it cost me about $1800, but was peaceful and I met great people, saw amazing sights. Well worth the time and money. Also the food was really good too, I was surprised about that. I had cell coverage for most of the trip, I was even able to VPN in for work.
I've had NOLA to California on my to-do list for a while now, taking this as my sign to go for it!
@@misternoname there is a dining car where you can talk with the other passengers, or you can wander to the viewing car.
For 1800... it sounds so criminal to me lol. Wish it was like $600 instead.
@@drill_fiend1097 I would say the experience was well worth it and was super unique, even compared to 1st class in an airplane. The ticket gave me access to the various premium lounges at the train stations as well.
@@drill_fiend1097I wonder if jonmoore1614 got a sleeper car. Most Amtrak tickets cost a few hundred dollars
7:51 is where the problem lies. It's so entrenched in us that when we talk about railways, we call it a "subsidy", but when we talk about giving money to roadways, it's called "funding".
Coz Rails are owned by private players and hence subsidized by the Govt... But the highways are owned by Govt, and just outsourced to private companies...
I use Amtrak all the time when I go to DC and Boston. I use it to go to Florida as well and it’s a great ride. One frustrating part about the latter journey is you have an hour delay in DC because the tech in southern tracks are different compared to the northern ones. I’m hoping more improvements to trains will happen soon - I talk about it a lot to friends and family and I even went out of my way to get train tickets for going to and from my graduation. I have a bit more hope for increased funding for trains since President Biden used Amtrak a lot when he was a senator. There are talks about getting a train line in Delaware as well.
east coast trains are a whole different story, they’re far better. mostly because the cities are closer
there is a train line in Delaware, SEPTA and Amtrak. I have taken both for many years. but no trains to lower / beach area Delaware.
At least Delaware is on the northeast corridor with numerous daily services. Wyoming and South Dakota, as well as Alaska and Hawaii, have no Amtrak service, not even thrice weekly...
Taking the Amtrak from Washington DC to Miami in December. Looking forward to it! Really appreciate the work you put into this video!
This is pretty accurate. I've taken the train across country once. NYC to Chicago, then Chicago to Seattle. It was a great experience. I've done the Lakeshore Limited segment to Chicago about three times and it's my favorite. The menu options are still less desirable than say VIA rail, which I hear offers food choices similar to the glory days of US Rail.
I took the Canadian last last year....the food is top notch. You wouldn't have thought it came from a train galley. The menu rotated every day and the desserts. Awesome.
I’ve travelled VIA rail a lot and it’s superior to Amtrak. Not only food but quality of accommodation and service. There’s a lot of game served like veni, bison, arctic char, etc. it’s classed as 4 star dining. Good wines. Full sized beds, showers, beautiful lounges done in leather and etched glass. Try it.
Right now, I have the choice of a 8.5 hour train ride from my hometown to my family's home versus a 6 hour car ride. Compare that to cities in Europe where the train is actually faster than driving, plus there is sufficient local public transportation to get you around when you get there. That's way more important to me than a fancy dining car or cross country route options.
8.5 compared to 6 is an easy train ride, you gonna take a break with the car anyway and stuff and you actually can just spend the time as you wanna, not having to focus on traffic
This actually isn't always true. Trains can take longer than car journeys here too, especially when you have to change trains several times, but as someone else said at least you can spend your time productively.
When I went to the Amtrak about a month ago, I seated next to an old lady who told me a story in which she survived a train derailment caused by a parked truck on the rail a week before. Other than the feeling of impending death it was great.
My favorite thing about this, and a lot of the stories on this channel, you got paid to do this. It's so awesome to see investigative journalism at work. It's such a shame that media has moved so far away from informing us about the world. This story doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things, but it's such a fun, entertaining and informative look into something that I've been curious about but never had the time or resources to investigate myself. Thank you Vox for keeping this alive!
Nationalize, nationalize, nationalize our railways and I'll keep saying this till we do.
As much as I’d love it, it would be creeping up on $1 trillion, and I don’t see congress approving that any time soon.
Railway nationalization would be the biggest improvement to the US transportation system since the construction of the interstate system.
@@olivercochrane6297 What's creeping up on 1 trillion? They can just pass a law saying "The government owns the railroads now", the 5th amendment would require some payment ("nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation"), but they could always add another amendment saying the 5th doesn't apply for some things
@@olivercochrane6297 Still be a better use of funds then wasting it on mostly useless policy **cough** **cough** gun control **cough** **cough**
@@joshgribbon8510Aquisition of ROW is the cheap part as the market valuation of the Class I RRs is around 300B. The expensive part would be all the track refurbishment, aquisition of new rolling stock, new staff, signalling, new stations, and double through quad tracking needed to meet new capacity demand and run trains up to 110mph. All that + aquisition would be around $750B. I can see that balooning to 1T if we throw in electrification and new tunnels. We have the money, the question is do we have the physical resources and know-how to do it?
Experience public transportation in Taiwan, China, and even London makes we wish the US had similar.
Transportation in China is amazing I was so pleasantly surprised
I felt the same way when I went to _Montreal_ and rode their Métro!
Dude. The shinkansen is where my bar is. They are so. good. Sapporo to Nagasaki (2,391km) in 15.5hrs (bonus: the leg from Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station to Tokyo Station is on the Hayabusa, it maxes at 200mph). At 95mph average, that'd make the LA to NYC trip 29 hrs by high speed train vs. 41hrs by car.
I heckin love Japan Rail.
i would rethink about London, EUROSTAR canceled all stops between London and Folkstone....because of Brexshit!
i rather swim to Ireland before i touch British soil!
@@Sunflowerbunny8388Only problem with the China system is the massive debt China inherited and the system isn't generating enough to pay back for the system.
My family and I took our first Amtrak trip this past April to Chicago. We booked a family room which provided a lot of space for us. It came with access to the Metropolitan Lounge that came with complimentary food and drinks while you wait for your departure. The trip took about an hour longer then it would if we drove, but the views were incredible, and not something you'd be able to see driving. From our window we saw loads of wildlife (e.g. hundreds of deer, wild turkeys, sandhill cranes, thousands of bald eagles, etc).
For dinner we had an actually sit down dinner with surprisingly good food along with cocktails. It exceeded my expectations. Far better then any food I've had on an airplane. Arriving into Union Station was so convenient. You arrive right downtown. For us it was an easy walk a couple blocks to our hotel. It was great! Because we were so centrally located in the city the majority of our activities were within walking distance.
Yes 100% I would take Amtrak again. I would recommend people trying a short trip if that works for them. Give it a try.
We need high speed trains in America!
after 3 cross country amtrak trips, im here to say you have conveyed the issues very well
I had the pleasure to take Amtrak this weekend and, despite our train being delayed two hours in both directions, it was still so much nicer than driving or flying would have been. The delays were frustrating, but the simple difference of being able to get up, walk around, enjoy the scenery, and grab a beer made it remarkably pleasant. If we manage to revitalize our poor rail system I really think it would very quickly become a strong competitor to cars and planes.
These benefits really don't get talked about enough but could help a lot in convincing people to use rail. Each type of transport has its own unique positives for the experience using them, for rail it's this sort of stuff and it certainly makes rail far more worthwhile to use than a lot of people think.
I live in India and travelling in a comfortable train sleeper car is just amazing! Most people here use the railways to travel between cities. I hope the US gets a good railway system too. You guys have a beautiful country!
@elfrjzWe have multiple tiers of services for trains. There’s luxury to complete chaos depending on what you’re willing to pay. Sometimes even within the same train.
I live in NYC and ny family lives in Florida so whenever i go visit i take Amtrak. The time spent travelling is perfect to decompress from the city and i arrive relaxed.
I'm a railroad and history and Amtrak buff and I learned a bunch of stuff I didn't know from this video! Very entertaining, too. Thanks
10:49 _Imagine what it would be like if this were evened out_
Me: *A frickin’ shinkansen?🗿*
Took Amtrak from Minnesota to Louisiana and we had nearly the exact same thoughts. Much comfier, safer, and environmentally friendly than flying or driving. We left thinking “my god there’s so much potential here.” Even just adding wifi would’ve made it that much better.
Responding to an older comment, when I take Amtrak from STL to Chicago there is normally complementary wifi, albeit slow it was enough for me to work on.
Posting this from an Amtrak train right now, taking it from SF to see my parents in Fresno. I love this. And way way way more comfortable than a plane.
This was such a great video! Thank you for sharing! My parents went on their honeymoon touring the country via train when they got married and absolutely loved it. Granted, they said it could have been luxurious, however, they felt in tune with a bygone age and were grateful to have crossed off a bucket list item for them.
Several years ago, I flew out to California to see family in both San Diego and San Francisco. Rather than flying between the two cities, I decided to take the train since there is a rather scenic route up and down the coast. Climate change had another idea. Wildfires north of Los Angeles made that route impassable, so they rerouted me to the line through central California. All in all, it was still a mostly pleasant experience, despite the scenery looking not dissimilar to a road trip I took through Iowa as a teenager, not the Pacific Ocean and mountain views I had signed up for.
It's Like going on a vacation while on the trip. Always an Awesome experience on the train.
Took this same train route when I traveled from Cali to NY when I was a kid! This video brought everything back to me
In the mid 90s I took the train from STL to CHI; it was about the same travel time as if by car, so I figured why not? A good experience, and we need more "short hop" routes like that.
Very interesting. The teen and I recently spent 6 weeks travelling round the US, mostly on Amtrak. We had a great time and were very lucky to avoid any major delays. It's pretty obvious though how underfunded things are - the cars we travelled in were close to 50 years old! Despite this they seem well maintained and all the staff we met were dedicated and professional. The food was great (though we had a full dining service rather than a cafe) and I'd thoroughly recommend it to anyone who isn't in a hurry and wants to see parts of the US that you can't see from a plane!
I made a trip from Cleveland to Everette Washington and back about 9 years ago. It was a unique way to see the countryside, I highly recommend to anyone who’s never traveled on train.
I frequently make the trip between St. Louis and Chicago and round trip is around $80-90. Figure in a few beers and yes it’s slightly longer and more expensive than driving, but what I make up in peace of mind makes Amtrak priceless.
Union station is gorgeous
One of my favorite vacations was by train. We went from New York to Montreal, drinking wine, eating charcuterie, and playing Yahtzee the whole way there. Try doing that on a plane.
I play Monopoly on a tablet in coach , the sleeper accommodation, or in the lounge cafe car...
I live in Michigan, which has quite a few Amtrak stations. There's a route I take often that costs me $40 round-trip, about the same as it would my car, and I love it. Once you get into going to Chicago or New York, however, it's *much* more expensive than a flight and takes much longer. This LA to NY trip costs about $2,400, which is probably the biggest barrier for most people when it comes to long-haul travel via train.
And yet each of amtraks long haul trains lose about $50m per year
That 2400 number is not for coach, that is for a roomette, coach is much much much cheaper. If you are going to quote prices than you should be comparing apples to apples, not apples to orangutans!
I had to take a train from SF to NYC a few years back due to a head injury (couldn't fly for a bit) and I had a similar experience. I fortunately had a sleeper car for the first leg though!
What's amazing is that there were no delays on your two lines!! Nearly every time I've taken Amtrack there are delays. The last time I went from LA to NOLA, it was 20 hours late!! From Chicago to Detroit (a half day trip), it was 6 hours late! Still I love riding the train, just can't be in a rush to get there :)
I love taking Amtrak. The short city to city routes are the best. Shoutout to Capitol Corridor
I've taken the train numerous times now from the midwest to the east coast. It's a love hate relationship for me, because I love using the train more than getting on an airplane, but being on it reminds you of how much you wish it was modeled after Europe's high speed system.
It's also stunning or reliant the Amish are at using this mode of continental travel. You will see at least two families on the train the further north east you go.
My dad regularly talks about when he got to know about 30 Pennsylvania Dutch people on an Amtrak train in the 90s. He'd brought a bunch of reading material with him but spoke to these people in the buffet car the entire time.
My family and I used to take the Amtrak from Milwaukee, WI to Dallas / Fort Worth, TX in the mid 1990s and absolutely loved it. Granted, I'm sure there were plenty of hiccups - as Dean mentioned he had too - but the trip down was always a delight: the gorgeous views, the ability to walk around the train for different views, and chatting with other passengers about their trips (my family will never forget the drunk couple and the drunk guy falling into viewing car window when the train took a curve!).
Overall, a great video that brought back a lot of childhood nostalgia and one that's inspired me to book a long overdue trip on Amtrak!
At least this time around, I won't have to worry about bringing upwards of 24 AA batteries for my Nintendo Game Boy for the trip either.
I took the New York to San Francisco trip in coach. It was one of the best trips I've ever done.
I have taken the Amtrak Zephyr from Chicago to CA, I loved the experience. I had a sleeper car room, the food was very good. The shower on board the train was clean, hot and had good water pressure. I slept well. I have regularly taken the Northeast Regional trains and have never had a bad experience .
January 2021 I moved from NYC to Seattle and since I wasn’t bringing furniture or anything big and just stuff I took Amtrak. I was able to pack up 3 50lbs boxes and two large suitcases and two small carry ons. It worked out really well except for my lack of internet. Weirdly one of my best life choices.
i recently took the california zephyr from chicago to san francisco back in march, and for being on a tight budget, it was a really amazing and comfortable experience. something that blew me away is how amtrak lets its passengers bring their own food and snacks which often times saves a lot of money if your in coach class and dont have much of a budget to spend $50 for one dinner. i was really disappointed that i didnt get the chance to ride in an observatory car since my train didnt get one. but for 3 days in coach class it wasnt that bad, sure sometimes at night it gets uncomfortable but leg room is pretty spacious. we did get a cafe car in place for the observatory car and spent much of our time there looking at the views, after passing denver is when the scenery really gets amazing and left me in awe and it was an experience i wouldnt forget.
3 days in a coach? Not a sleeper?
@@TinLeadHammer, see "tight budget." Haha. It's also not something I would probably do if I had options, but it's not a bad way to move across the country for cheap and I considered it for grad school except that I would have needed to switch trains in Chicago with all my boxes, which would have been brutal/risky in terms of theft alone. I opted for a POD and a cheap flight but in another world with a direct train I would have sold the couch and bed, hired an Uber XL at my destination, and made the best of it with a dolly, giant backpack, and a couple of duffles.
@@TinLeadHammer it wasnt that bad to be honest, i didnt struggle sleeping but the only issue was that the leg rests are a bit uncomfortable. only then on the final few hours once we arrived in california was when the coach began to smell like sweaty people.
being delayed in chicago for 4 hours was the worst part of the journey since the servers crashed haha
Next try the Southwest Chief..omg you will be amazed.
I've lived in Canada for 6 years and that made me extremely dependent on cars for everything (from groceries to a day-trip), but I was used to it since in Brazil, where I am from, it is pretty much the same (public and railway transportation badly funded or non-existent). Now, after living for 1.5 years in the Czech Republic I have been de-car-toxicated and able to enjoy much better coverage of railway and public transportation in general. That is fantastic and it is a dream from childhood when I was fascinated with trains in general. I am able to go for a day-trip worry-free using the train network that is, by the way, 5 min walk from my apartment. That is not limited to CZ, but everywhere in Europe the network is well developed. I believe every country that is really concerned about the environment should develop its rail network for passenger usage (and of course freight) as much as possible. Forget about Gas vs Electric vehicles, this should be what we should fund!
Amtrak was my phenomenal experience of traveling in the USA with my parents - always have a special place in my ♥️
So happy to live in Europe and have such great rail network across the continent.
The one real thing we need to fix is cross country travel. Some areas like the border regions of Hungary, Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic are doing well.
But at other places good connections are either hard to plan due to Rail Companies not updating/uploading their schedules to public databases or in some areas people even need to walk across the border to the next train station. At least the rail connections between big cities is generally good, but there is still a lot of room to improve, especially in regional areas.
It's not like there is no demand, within the Schengen zone it's not uncommon that people live on one side but go to work across the border. Like between Saarland and Lorraine.
The Austro-Hungarian rail company GySEV/Raaberbahn (private company that is partially owned by both the Austrian and Hungarian governments) specialises in regional rail travel across the border regions and is doing really well.
Oh please don't pretend you don't take Ryanair whenever you travel.
@@anarchsnark rails are way more comfortable to travel when having to travel a few hundred kilometers
@@anarchsnark The TGV from Zurich to Paris is as fast as by train. Why should I fly.
Zurich to Milan or Munich the same.
@@anarchsnarkFrance banned short flights to reduce emissions, so even if you wanted to take a plane when a train is just as good or better, you can't. Yet another example of how North American transportation priorities are backward compared to European and East Asian ones.
I''ll be riding Amtrak in little over 2 weeks from Chicago to Detroit. It's going to be an experience. Almost a 6 hour journey. I did the same route by car so I will be interesting to see the difference.
The editing on this one is really exceptional!
Thank You! You just answered so many questions!!
Train travel can be amazing if the country you are in cares about its people. It’s also a very special way to see foreign realms from “the back door”. I highly recommend trains in any country except the US.
I've traveles across the US a few times on Amtrak and across Canada on VIA (their version of Amtrak).
Both get you to your destination and offer hours of viewing pleasure.
VIA however is amazing! Great rooms, great bar cars, great food on updated coaches.
Regardless, train travel is all about the journey and not the destination.
Once I took the train from Budapest to Rotterdam. It was one of my best travel experiences!
Great video! I've always wondered about the train travel experience, so this was illuminating.
As a Minnesotan, I found it amusing that you changed to a "First Avenue and 7th St Entry" tee when you got to Chicago.
My grandma took Amtrak from Colorado to VA every time she saw me. She had vertigo and hated flying. Now I want to do the same trip. She is amazing for spending so many days traveling just to see me but IK she honestly enjoyed it every time. We need better train systems and I hope my generation fights for it more. 💓
I love Amtrak and try to get all my friends to try it. Most of them love it. Even with the delays and sometimes less than helpful station staff, its just so much more comfortable and fun than air travel.
Whistfully staring out a train window while listening to Phoebe Bridgers is a whole vibe, I agree.