Jaunted - Tag: amtrak

Fifteen Hours on Amtrak: Achieving Nirvana

JetSetCD — 2008-10-31T11:05:05-05:00

To travel along on our first few hours on Amtrak out of New York, check out yesterday's Part I.

It's midnight and we're stopped in the middle of nowhere, eight hours into our fifteen-hour coach class Amtrak trek to the Midwest from New York City. We've stepped outside of the train only to be caught in sleeting rain and an ungodly darkness; it could be Rochester, New York. At this point, the Amtrak lightweights have disembarked in Albany, Schenectady or Syracuse, and the leftovers are truly in for the long-haul. Under the single streetlight, we size each other up and wonder who might be capable of stealthily stealing our stuff while we sleep. It's probably the single guy getting off in Erie, Pennsylvania, our next stop.

Fifteen Hours on Amtrak: Our Recession Confession

JetSetCD — 2008-10-30T09:45:04-05:00

While we have logged some impressive mileage traveling Amtrak in the past, all the recent reports of sold-out trains has us wondering what, if anything, has changed other than gas prices? Curious as to the state of the trains and the faces of the new ridership, a few days ago we hopped aboard Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited from New York City, a 15-hour chattanooga choo choo to the heart of the Midwest. In and amongst the horrendously marked-up beer of the lounge car and the chattering divorcees of the dining car, we may have just discovered the most unlikely thing: Hope.

Travel Referendums: Bipartisan Support for Amtrak Not Maverick-y Enough for McCain

pbb — 2008-10-23T14:30:50-05:00

This November 4 is about more than just deciding between McCain and Obama. Other issues that directly affect travelers are up for decision, and this week we're taking a closer look at some of them.

After Amtrak reported record ridership, President Bush signed a bill earlier this month to give the rail operator $13 billion in new funding over the next five years as well as expand safety measures. (Even though he said he wouldn't sign it back in June.) Amazingly, the investment had the support of an overwhelming majority of Congress.

Behind the bill was New Jersey Democrat Frank Lautenberg (inset), whose state sees roughly 1.6 million Amtrak passengers a year. His version of the bill actually didn't provide for the $13 billion, though, as money-related legislation has to originate in the House. So whose idea was it to give Amtrak all that cash? Our old pal James Oberstar!

Lohan and Ronson Evidence Amtrak Ascendancy

pbb — 2008-10-20T11:30:48-05:00

How hot is Amtrak these days? Even possibly dating starlets are taking the train: Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson were seen riding the Acela on October 16.

But even without TSA hassles and flight delays, Page Six says the pair didn't have a pleasant trip:

Lohan spent most of the time complaining about her staff and told Ronson, "I do what's good for you, not what's best for both of us." Lohan was "whining incessantly and Samantha was trying to deflect it. When Lindsay would get up, Samantha would sigh and put her sweatshirt hood back up."

Sounds like Sam should've booked seats in the quiet car!

Related Stories:
· Rough Train Ride [NYP]
· Amtrak Ridership Through the Roof: Time for Some New Ideas in U.S. Train Travel [Jaunted]

Amtrak Ridership Through the Roof: Time for Some New Ideas in U.S. Train Travel

Victor Ozols — 2008-10-11T14:11:10-05:00

The U.S. government-owned passenger rail company known as Amtrak is finally having its moment in the sun. After more than three decades as a money-losing symbol of government waste, bureaucratic ineptitude, and U.S. consumers' overwhelming preference for car travel, Amtrak's ridership is surging, bolstered by high gas prices and a growing distaste for short-distance air travel. While we here at Jaunted HQ are wary of calling this a watershed moment for U.S. train travel, it does represent an opportunity to reacquaint people with the joys of riding the rails - and might also be a rare opportunity to bring the 1970's-era rail line into the 21st century.

After the jump, a few ideas for Amtrak that just might be crazy enough to work.

A Century of Train Travel at Washington D.C.'s Union Station

Victor Ozols — 2008-10-04T15:05:17-05:00

Train travel in the United States is not without its challenges, but Washington D.C.'s Union Station is one of the success stories. While other once-grand railroad stations were destroyed and rebuilt in modern, uninspiring styles (New York's Penn Station comes to mind), Union Station has retained the elegant glamor it had when it first opened 100 years ago.

To celebrate its centennial, the station is rolling out special exhibits this weekend (October 4-5, 2008) that hearken back to the golden days of the American railroad industry. Visitors will be able to walk through historic locomotives and rail cars, check out the latest and greatest Amtrak equipment, and get a taste of what used to be the nation's main method of transit.

Of course, Union Station is unique among Amtrak stations around the country, as it provides a headquarters for the company as well as an upscale shopping mall. A $160 million renovation in 1988 restored it to its original 1908 grandeur, transforming it from a decaying relic of a nearly-obsolete form of transport to one of the city's top tourist destinations. So if you're in the District this weekend, drop by to see what a century of railroad history looks like. Who knows, with gyrating gas prices and endless airline hassles, this might just be the beginning of a renaissance in North American train travel.

[Photo: AP via USA Today]

Related Stories:
· Washington, D.C.'s Union Station Celebrates 100 Years of Train Travel [USA Today]
· Union Station [Official Site]
· Train Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

World's Greatest Train Travel: West Is Best with the Coast Starlight

egw — 2008-09-08T16:15:24-05:00

This week, we're mapping some of the world's greatest train trips.

When The New York Times made its semi-annual nod to plebeian vacations last fall, it plugged Amtrak's southernmost route, the "Sunset Limited," which crosses the Cadillac desert between New Orleans and Los Angeles. But travelers hoping to catch some scenes of green (or, this time of year, fall foliage) should check out the Coast Starlight instead.

The 35-hour trek between Seattle and LA, which the Gray Lady described in 1982 as "a serious train," traverses both purple mountain majesties and fruited plains--as well as Napa wine country and the edge of the Pacific Ocean. On-board comforts include artisanal cheeses, an arcade room and meals delivered right to your seat.

Related Stories:
· Sunset Limited [Official Site]
· Amtrak's Coast Starlight Classes Up Its Act [LAT]
· Amtrak's $100 Booze Credit [Jaunted]