sunbum1944

I recently travelled from Eugene, Or down to Sacramento to visit daughter over Thanksgiving. Schedule looked great and although I did notice when I booked ticket that I could "expect delays" I really didnt think much about it.

Trip down wasnt bad - left Eugene a little after 5PM - had a nice dinner on the train and got into Sacramento about an hour late the next am.

However on the way back I was supposed to leave at midnight- and we didnt leave til 3AM. I guess the freight trains rule the rails and so the passenger train has to pull over whenever a freight train is on the rail.

Once I was on board I discovered from other passengers that the trip north which starts in LA is consistantly late 4-8 hours.
We were 4 1/2 hrs late getting into Eugene.

One man on board was so frustrated with the whole thing- he was getting off in Eugene and renting a car and driving the rest of the way to Seattle.

So if any of you have a notion of how fun a train trip could be on this particular portion of the track- you might reconsider-
Its gets you where you are going but not anywhere close to the scheduled time.

The portion of the ride between Klamath Falls and Eugene was spectacular though -
had just snowed and was really beautiful.

Orcas

Thanks for the report. Interesting! We have taken Amtrak a lot between Portland and Seattle, and the general rule of thumb is that the trains that originate in either place are usually on time. If they are coming up from California, they can be quite late. It is very frustrating that the passenger trains always have to yield for freight.

All that said, if you can time it right, the train is a great way to get between Seattle and Portland.

The biggest alternative, I-5, is suffering from overload, and delays can be frustrating on the road, too. On Sunday after Thanksgiving, I-5 between Portland and Seattle was closed northbound for 2 hours due to a major smash up. I heard the delays were up to 6 hours! Alas, not that uncommon. I won't even talk about I-90 and the rock slide and trying to get across Washington east to west. I think we are letting our transportation infrastructure decay a wee bit too much....

FainaAgain

I posted a reply, and got kicked off Fodor's! Hmmm....

I said I agree with everything Sunbum said, took that train to Seattle. It's good to visit family, when you don't have to worry about reservations, and making it on time. Otherwise...

I wonder how the "orient express" works, is it always behind the schedule too?

And I think something's missing here... a meeting... with somebody local... perhaps a Fodorite...

sunbum1944

Faina- It would be fun to meet one of these days- I expect I am going to be down there pretty frequently now that my daughter is there.

We met Kal and Mrs Kal a couple of weeks before - the week she moved.
I felt so bad about having her down there over Thanksgiving by herself which was prompted me to take the train
down.

I'll be around and I think we are going to need LOTS of information about the area.

See you soon - but I think I will fly this time

FainaAgain

Put April 23 on your calendar for a meeting in Petaluma!

sunbum1944

And what is happening in Petaluma on Apr 23rd ??

FainaAgain

Annual Butter and Egg day parade, with my husband we went several times, and not tired yet!

Here is my post for get-together:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34698878

rb_travelerxATyahoo

I agree with Orcas about trying to be on a train that originates at or near the station you board the train at ... the further away it is, the more likely delays are.

I've seen the American Orient Express parked at Union Station DC, but have never seen it moving. I thought that it was merely towed by Amtrak on their scheduled trains.

If you for the most part enjoyed Amtrak, you might wish to write to your congressmen & ask for support. Amtrak top level is being filled with people who WANT to see it fail, rather than prosper. United States is a third world nation when it comes to rail service, an international embarassment.

suze

I found out the same thing (the hard way on a recent trip between Seattle and Albany Oregon). This applies only to the Coast Starlight BTW. Going down was only 1 hour late, because I'm on at the beginning of the run. Heading home from Oregen the train was still in California at the time I was to catch it! At Amtrak's suggestion I took the Cascade line instead which runs on time but doesn't have ammenities like restaurant or sleeping cars.

traveler24

I have taken Amtrak from ( Martinez near Oakland) to Seattle 3 times (never in summer) Each time it left the station with in 1/2 hour of schedule.However, this line does have a reputation of "not" being on time.
I love train travel, even more so in the East,and was really upset when Pres. Bush entirely excluded Amtrak from the budget..Some of our representatives have restored some of the funds..You would think with our diminishing oil reserves maintaining train travel would be a logical goal...
I will continue to "ride the rails" as long as I am able..

WICT_106

Sumbum, when you said that the freight trains rule the rails, you were very close to the target. The frieght railroad companies own the tracks outright. In other words, the tracks aren't "public" in the same sense that the airways are or the highways. In the case of the train route discussed here, the landlord of most of the line is the Union Pacific railroad. Trips aboard Amtrak give travelers a glimps into an industry about which the general public is largely misinformed or otherwise oblivious: railroading. Amtrak is highly subject to the conditions of the freight RR's tracks, and the frieght RR's do all of their own traffic control. Frieght RR managers have made it abundantly clear throughout the US RR industry that if people want Amtrak to be punctual over their rails, then Amtrak of the gov't should pay up and make it worth the companies while (translation: pay more for access to the railroad, buy additional rails, pay more in terms of "rent," etc) . Some railroads like the Burlington Northern are very tolerable to Amtrak's presence over their rails, while other RR companies like the union pacific are quite the opposite. Over the Coast Starlight's route, the Union Pacific is swamped with traffic.

Wither or not one has fun aboard the train depends upon one's expectations. I've taken trips where I've run into other passengers, and some are having the time of their lives, while others aboard the same train are having fits. I have also learned that one train trip on one route shouldn't be used to extrapolate generalizations regarding the entire system - Amtrak (and its landlords the freight RRs) can have widely varying levels of service. It would get better, but Our Elected Representatives must be encouraged to fund passenger rail in a much more stable, long term fashion.

sunbum1944

well I must admit that I did meet some very nice people on the train - travelling alone made it easy to just strike up conversations and I was seated with 3 people I likely wouldnt have met when I had dinner in the dining car. I thought the food was pretty good too- had lamb shanks.

It is a shame that passenger rail is not funded better because I think most people enjoy travelling by train.
I would do that route again but with different expectations and only if I couldnt get a decent airfare.

horseuuuus

It must be difficult and frustrating to take trains when one is is a hurry.

What happens when a vital connection is missed? Should a person plan to spend a day in the connecting town?

I've always enjoyed train travel...My mother who never learned to drive took my siblings and I all over the country on trains and buses in the fifties.

For me, it's a good excuse to slow down, read a good book, and and just stare out the window at the beautiful and interesting scenery.

rkkwan

When you need to be somewhere at a particular time, do not take AMTRAK's long distance trains, period. Fly, drive, bus, whatever.

But if you have lots of time and don't care when you'll get on or when you'll get there, then do AMTRAK and thank your fellow US taxpayers for your excursion. Thank your congressmen too for keeping the funding for the last 30+ years. Spread the love, not blame.

Orcas

rkkwan, And if you decide to take to the highways, also thank the taxpayers for paying for their construction, maintenence and policing. And remember to thank the government for the expense it incurs insuring you have gas to put in your tank. And, if you fly, thank the taxpayers for the FAA, the TSA, and all the funds that support airports and air traffic control, as well as the fuel in those big engines.

Orcas

Reread yours and realize you were calling for us to express appreciation and I do agree with you.

I think people often attack public transit for its cost, forgetting that our tax dollars subsidize "private" transit as well.

rkkwan

Orcas - You're absolutely right that the federal government has already spent lots of money on roads and airports. But that doesn't answer the question of why do we have to foot the bill for long distance passenger rail as well? It's been long documented that AMTRAK will be better off paying each Sunset Limited passenger to fly to their destination than to put them on their train.

Yeah, what strategic purpose does long-distance passenger train serve? The locomotives still burn plenty of fuel! Maybe not as inefficient as passenger cars per passenger, but definitely no better than Greyhound. And for emergency? How many people get out of New Orleans on AMTRAK during Katrina? I think it's ZERO. Or out of Houston during Rita? Maybe a few hundred. And what role does one expect AMTRAK to serve during such disasters?

People should realize the fact that the nature of US geography means long distance trains do not make sense! [I am not talking about corridor trains!] Funding the Sunset Limited, California Zephyr, etc is nothing but pork, subsidizing retirees (or people who have time), or people who love trains on their vacation.

rb_travelerxATyahoo

The Sunset Limited is probably the most cited example of the "cheaper to buy them airline tickets" argument.

The argument is flawed because it's based on the assumption that those passengers are traveleing coast to coast. It doesn't allow for the large number of people who are only going to the next state, and other shorter, regional hauls. Greyhound, Trailways, and other bus companies have deserted many of those stops. What happens to the transportation needs of those people when our "leaders" pull the plug on Amtrak?

rkkwan

You really think that there are lot of people who actually rely on the Sunset Limited to go to places they need to go?

Well, it hasn't operated east of Baton Rouge since Katrina, and I don't see thousands of people stranded there waiting to get to Florida on it.

And can you really tell me which city between on the Sunset Limited route where people rely on the 3-times a week train to get them somewhere? A train that may be arriving in the middle of the night?

Give me a break.

BTW, there were lots of towns and cities that used to have AMTRAK service and don't know. I visited one of them not long ago - Boise, ID. Its economy is doing nicely, with lots of new hotels and development; and a nice airport terminal. I don't see banners there saying "Bring AMTRAK Back".

But I'll give you that there are lots of small towns throughout the west that collapsed or disappeared when airplane replaced long-distance trains, starting in the 50's. But that's the nature of a dynamic country with a dynamic economy. Sometimes you just have to move.

Orcas

rkkwan,
I am wondering where you live. I notice you say you are okay with corrider travel. I can tell you it is very important between Seattle and Portland and we could use better service to Vancouver BC.

We have one interstate highway up the entire northwest coast, I-5, and almost all the population of Washington, OR and BC live on the coast.
I-5 is one sorry roadway. It is like a washboard in places, as the taxpayers haven't supported needed road improvements. The road was not designed for the amount of traffic it is required to carry. During rush hour, it is a stop and start nightmare for miles and miles. If anyone needs to actually go between Portland and Seattle, they have to plan to travel some time other than rush hour and still its risky, with frequent accidents holding up traffic for hours.

Of course, one can fly, but one still has to get to the airport on I-5 and sit around for 1 1/2 hours before the flight. Then you can sit in a jammed in little seat on a smaller plane that is sometimes like a roller coaster ride. By the time you go door to door, you could have gotten there in far greater comfort on Amtrak.

Some of us are passionate about Amtrak, and I suspect it is those of us living in places where traffic is horrible, alternatives are limited, and Amtrak provides comfortable and frequent service. We need options.