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Southwest Chief "In The X-Hair"
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by mgt: [QB] I find this debate interesting and somewhat depressing. As a non-American I would not dream of making any political comment. In the past 14 years my wife and I have travelled on trans-continental and north/south Amtrak routes. The Bedroom/dining-car/Pacific Parlour Cars have been an enjoyable and integral part of both our holiday and our transport experiences. We have met people, mainly Americans for whom Amtrak was the preferred option for long distance travel. Some had a deep-rooted fear of flying, others had the time to enjoy hassle-free travel. Others were making relatively short journeys. On the other hand I fully understand that a partly publicly funded transport system must take realistic financial decisions. In Britain, with our effective HST Intercity north/south service rail holds its own with the airlines up to 400 miles, i.e. Edinburgh/Glasgow to London. I suppose that is why Acela and other trains on the East Coast Corridor are so successful. In Britain there is now only very rudimentary catering, either trolley or buffet, and increasingly air-line style cramped seating. We also have a safe, widely used, efficient and very reasonably priced national bus service, if prone to delays caused by congestion and road-works. This serves the more populous areas; rural transport is a different matter. I wonder how much the loss of the LD routes would affect the rural communities in the US? I am aware that, previously, local Congressmen/women have been vocal in their support for Amtrak. Has that changed? Or is there a Dr Beeching factor at work? Many people in Britain who were outraged at Beeching's proposed closures, including my grandmother in the south of Scotland, only used the train once or twice a year, or not at all, even when the same journey by bus was slower and more uncomfortable, but there were several bus stops in the village compared to the one station. And once the railway went, the number of buses was cut! More affluent US acquaintances have found our enthusiasm for Amtrak odd, even idiosyncratic. On the other hand I recall the enthusiasm of a first time user rapturously extolling the virtues and comfort of train travel to his wife on his cell-phone, vowing to use it more often in future. Long distance train travel on regular routes offers something special. But that requires, for some passengers, comfortable sleeping accommodation and reasonable meals served in a pleasant setting. With equipment replacement becoming an issue does the market for this group of travellers in the US still exist? [/QB][/QUOTE]
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