read with interest the article about people switching to train travel due to problems with flight issues. I have to differ about the clean bathrooms on Amtrak. When we boarded Amtrak ( 2 years ago?) for Washington, D.C. the bathrooms were clean. They didn't stay that way, and the toilet paper ran out!! The trash barrel was so full you couldn't put your trash in. I thought they could have done much better. The train was slow and there were delays and we left late and arrived late, but the bathrooms were what bothered me.

The last train I was had such overflowing trash cans that you literally had to wade through paper to even get to the toilet. (And that was before you couldn't get to the bathroom at all due to so many people crowded on the train.) Yuk.

I've only done short trips (mostly NYC to DC) and do my best to avoid the toilets. Every time I've been forced to use one they've been yuck!

I've only done DC to New York and New York to Boston on Amtrak. After hearing about the experiences some friends had, I was expecting the worst, but found the restrooms very clean throughout the trip. Out trains weren't too crowded on both legs, so that may have been a factor.

I took Amtrak Seattle-Chicago. Never again.

I'd go NYC-Washington or NYC-Boston, and that's it.

They are kind of gross. I did NYC-Chicago-NYC, and within a few hours, the toilets were a biohazard.

Otherwise, I enjoyed the ride.

Years ago my husband took one-Chicago to New Orleans. He said the toilets were overflowing etc. and they were by far the worst bathrooms he had ever seen. Never had any desire to take Amtrak again.

We've traveled a lot by Amtrak, mostly in the west but also from Chicago to Boston, NYC, DC. The bathrooms were not really all that bad. Well, okay, there were a couple of memorably bad ones, but not enough to spoil a trip. Nicest, of course, if you can travel 1st class with fewer people per head.

I did Savannah to Wash DC. Never again (simply because of bathrooms...long trip...too far to hold it) unless I have a private car with its own b'room. At that point, it will be quicker and almost as cheap to fly.

I have only rode Amtrak on the westcoast of the US and from Reno to Martinez (the train came from Chicago I believe). The restrooms..gross does not even describe them. I will never ever take Amtrak again. They were always late, they run out of food, and again the bathrooms were so disgusting.

I sure wish we had good trains. *sigh*

If it doesn't have a bathtub in it, it ain't a 'bathroom'.
Why do us North Americans have such a difficult time calling a toilet, a toilet?

Note -- have sent the link to this discussion on to Amtrak people. Have so far received two auto-thanks from "[email protected]", which is an interesting name/address for a customer service responder. What are they thinking?

Well, maybe we should call it the "toilet, sink, faucet, mirror, baby-changing table, toilet paper, paper towel, hand soap room." Is that better?

I'm now told that "Firepond" is the name of a company supposedly helping Amtrak with sales, etc.

But still... odd email address if you're writing to comment on Amtrak service.

We have taken the Amtrak Autotrain 3 times and the toilet rooms (okay?) were really not that bad. Coming back from FL one time the conductor got on the loud speaker and said that when the holding tanks were full that was it so be careful what you flush. That might be why they are not so bad. Also they had 4 toilet stalls of different sizes that might be another reason.

4 in each car, another one in the smoking lounge. I should have added.

I travel quite often on the Vermonter between Vt and Stamford, Ct. I get surveys pretty often asking how individual trips were. One of the standard questions is about the restrooms (I think that is the term they use). I have never seen anyone on a train attempt to clean them during the trip and on the trips north they are often quite dirty/messy by the time the train has gone from DC to Ct or MA.

Secure, dependable and adequate funding would go a long way towards making a US train ride pleasant. AMtrak lives from year to year as the redheaded stepchild, begging for sustenance.

Just giving up on Amtrak doesn't seem to be the answer. Joining Natl Assn of Rail Passengers to lobby congress and/or writing congresspersons might help.