I long for the old Lake Shore Limited schedule and a roomette bed: depart New York City at about 7:30 p.m.; arrive in Cleveland at 7 a.m. No other mode of travel can beat that for convenience and comfort.

 

For comfort and convenience, I think I'd prefer a 4 hour TGV-style ride.  I would never fly home again if I could do that, and would be happy to pay a premium over airline tickets for it.  It's nice to daydream...

We've got a aways to go before we get to true high-speed rail in this country.... but it is a worthy goal and we should be working our way toward it.

November 5, 2007

http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071105/OPINION/711050356

 

Investing in Amtrak for the long run will reap benefits for nation

By U.S. Sen. Trent Lott

Special to The Clarion-Ledger

 

WASHINGTON — Amtrak is improving, and we should keep that going by investing in it. Congress has made reforms to the nation's national passenger rail line, and a record 26 million passengers rode the rails this year. Ticket revenues have increased by 11 percent, and the nation's first high-speed rail corridor's popularity is growing thanks to on-time performance pushing 90 percent.

 

 

Whatever it takes to get a positive return!

The day that I know Rapture has arrived is the day that an Associated Press article about Amtrak doesn't have the text "financially struggling" or "federally subsidized" in the lead paragraph.

 

Whenever I've been interviewed by the AP for passenger rail-related stories, the writers have been very condescending about my interest or the reasons for the existence of groups like All Aboard Ohio and the Midwest High Speed Rail Association.

 

I'm looking forward to the next interview so I can ask to speak to the writer's editor when the next condescending statement is made.

Two very good editorials on the recent passage of Senate Bill 294:

 

From the Des Moines Register:

November 8, 2007

 

Rethink the possibilities for rail passenger service

 

Fans of railroad passenger service have long maintained an abiding faith that one day train travel will return to favor. There are some glimmers of evidence that might finally happen.

 

 

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071108/OPINION03/711080367

 

 

From the Atlanta Constitution:

 

Amtrak worth federal investment

Atlanta Journal-Constitution  http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/stories/2007/11/05/amtraked_1106.html

Published on: 11/06/07

 

Amtrak, the national passenger rail service launched nearly four decades ago, had been condemned to a slow death in recent years. Plagued in part by self-inflicted problems and poor management, Amtrak and its passengers were also the targets of short-sighted politicians intent on starving it of needed funding.

 

 

For Immediate Release: Thursday, November 8, 2007

From the NARP Hotline ( www.narp.org )..... this bill contains the one-year reauthorization for Amtrak, plus an important, first-ever matching grant program for states for investments in passenger rail.  The match would be on a 50-50% basis.  Not great, but potentially a source of funding for a high-level environmental impact study of the Ohio Hub

 

 

HIGHLIGHTS: 2008 TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS

As Approved by Conferees

 

The Transportation and Housing conference report addresses the important challenges of keeping our transportation system safe and strong, ensuring that every American has adequate shelter, and doing so in a way that strengthens the economy and is environmentally responsible.

The conference report invests:

 

• $40 billion in the nation’s highway system for construction of new roads, repairs and improvements;

• $1 billion to address deficient bridges across America – accepting Senator Patty Murray’s amendment for a 25 percent boost to bridge funding – following the 1-35 collapse;

• $195 million in emergency funds to complete Federal investment in the reconstruction of the I-35 bridge;

• Sufficient funds to renew all current housing vouchers, and provides 15,500 new vouchers for veterans, the disabled, and low income families;

• A 500 % increase in funds to alleviate problems caused by the sub-prime mortgage crisis by providing housing counseling to help homeowners stay in their homes;

• $3.5 billion for airport efficiency, modernization and safety grants;

• $1.45 billion for Amtrak;

• $110 million to provide access to air travel in rural communities; and

• Over $85 million to improve pipeline and rail safety.

Conference Report Total Discretionary Total Budget Authority

2007 Enacted: $47.5 billion $100 billion

President’s Request: $47.9 billion $100.3 billion

Conference Report: $50.9 billion $105.6 billion

KEY INVESTMENTS

 

Amtrak: $1.45 billion, $156 million over 2007 and $550 million over the President’s request. The Senate rejected the President’s budget proposal, which would have guaranteed Amtrak’s bankruptcy. In an era of record gas prices and congested highways, Amtrak plays a vital role in our national transportation system. Last year, Amtrak posted a record ridership of 24.3 million passengers. The bill provides Amtrak with the funding necessary to continue all current services and improve railway infrastructure.

• Includes $75 million for a new grant program that will match state contributions for intercity passenger rail operations. The program is similar but not identical to a $100 million program that was included in the President’s budget.

WHAT? I thought President Bush actually _supported_ this funding increase!

 

Holy crap. I reverse any _good_ statements I made about him earlier, and in the car with RiverViewer and Rando when it came to Amtrak funding (on this specific case).

Bush the Second... or "Shrub" as the late columnist Molly Ivins used to call him ... has been not only an obstacle in the way of more and better passenger rail, but has actively sought to dismantle what little we have. 

Watch out for Bush. Now that we have a Democrat Congress, he suddenly found his veto pen and will shoot down anything he doesn't like. That means we MUST pass any pro-rail legislation by veto-proof majorities, a tall order.

 

We could have a for-real shut-down scenario next year and if that happens, the intercity passenger train may die just when we need it most. Think about it: If Amtrak goes, the right to operate on the freight railroads at an affordable price goes with it. Ditto affordable insurance. On top of that we will lose a skilled workforce and the institutional knowledge to operate passenger trains, a national reservation system, the equipment itself, as well as the infrastructure the trains use.

 

Like Amtrak or not, they really are the only game in town. You can talk other operators all you want, but no one offers its unique advantages.

 

Short-sighted neocon destruction of Amtrak would be catastophic. If Amtrak goes, you won't simply be able to start running the trains again if you want. It will be very difficult to start running what we have lost.

The bill as it passed in the Senate looks pretty veto proof.  With 6 democrats abstaining from the 70-22 vote (dodd, clinton, obama, biden, harkin (ia), and wyden (or)), they've probably got between 76-78 votes. 

 

Time to write your Reps!  And send a nastygram to Voinovich while you're at it.

Anyway, it seems to as an example that it would be cheaper for Delta to invest in a regional rail system (or even a bus system) that feeds CVG instead of flying planes from Dayton or Lexington. Without very high speed rail, more than 500 miles should be the specialty of aircraft, under that decent speed rail seems most valuable.

 

Some European airlines codeshare with trains. You can ride the rails with Air France from Paris to Brussels.

The U.S. needs to start breaking down the legal barriers against carriers running intermodal operations, and encourage them to invest in transportation systems that serve a broad base of communities and travelers using the best modes for various trips with seamless interconnections. It's stupid to have airlines competing with rail competing with highway motorcoach, because each has its niche where it works best.

 

Motorcoaches have been the biggest losers under the current system. They've nearly been squeezed out of existence in the past ten to twenty years, and now many small-town residents have no connection with the outside world other than private car.

 

Canadian Pacific once operated steamships, airplanes, trains, motorcoaches and a hotel chain that served travelers using and connecting between the various modes.

The following article makes some interesting points about why long distance passenger rail service is important and not just (as critics brush so broadly) glorified land cruises.

 

Riding the rails

By CARLA WILLIAMS, Staff Writer

Minot (ND) Daily News

[email protected]

 

Nationally, Amtrak ridership in fiscal year 2007 increased to 25,847,531, marking the fifth consecutive year of gains and setting a record for the most passengers using Amtrak trains since the national railroad passenger corporation started operations in 1971.

 

 

http://www.minotdailynews.com/business/articles.asp?articleID=16155

From an Alabama newspaper:

http://www.timesdaily.com/article/20071120/APF/711200891

 

Outgoing board chairman says Amtrak back on track

 

By SARAH KARUSH

Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON

Last Updated:November 20. 2007 7:00PM

Published: November 20. 2007 7:00PM

 

Amtrak has restored its credibility and is not the financial basket case it was five years ago, the national passenger railroad's outgoing chairman said.

 

But David Laney, whom President Bush did not nominate for another term on the board, told The Associated Press that there are probably some in the White House who would have preferred to see Amtrak eliminated.

 

 

Amtrak President Alex Kummant, hired more than a year ago, has said Amtrak's future lies frequently traveled, medium-distance routes. He said the company is reevaluating long-distance routes, which are expensive to maintain and tend to carry fewer passengers.

 

Prove it, AP. What data were you looking at? This paragraph is the only drawback to this article by AP, which normally does non-fact-based opinionated articles about Amtrak.

 

Still, Laney said some long-distance routes have potential. The Chicago-New York service, for example, could be popular if the trains were on time. For that to happen, Amtrak would need to cooperate with CSX Corp., which owns the track, to ease a bottleneck in Indiana, he said.

 

Wonder if Laney is referring to the Cardinal, which is the only Chicago - East Coast service that uses uses CSX track in Indiana...

I thought this was a very telling quote from Laney:

 

Laney joined the board just after a financial crisis that was solved only when the Department of Transportation made an emergency loan of $100 million to the railroad. Laney said he was able to put stricter financial controls in place and pointed to the reduction in the company's long-term debt from $4 billion in 2002 to less than $3.5 billion.

 

But Laney said he didn't know if the administration was pleased with the results.

 

"They don't talk to me," he said. "There's probably some people over there who think I should have wiped Amtrak off the map, but that wasn't my job."

This was written and sent to me by a friend of mine who is one of the most respected rail/transit consultants in the U.S....

_____________________

 

THANKSGIVING TRAVEL DELIGHTS – Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

 

“Over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house we go, the horse knows the way…”

 

If it were just as simple as hitching a horse to our sleigh for the annual pilgrimage for the Thanksgiving holiday, life would be so much more enjoyable.  However, flights out of Cleveland Hopkins International Airport were delayed on Thanksgiving Eve as a dense fog blanketed the Greater Cleveland area as a prelude to an anticipated November gale blowing in from Lake Erie.  For those traveling by car, the dense fog reduced visibility substantially making driving on this holiday eve even more treacherous than it normally is.  I feel sorry for all those who were attempting to get home for this traditional American family holiday by air or car. 

 

Me?  Well, my son and I decided to take Amtrak to Erie, Pennsylvania to link up with my wife and her family for our annual Thanksgiving feast.  The train is scheduled to depart Cleveland’s Lakefront Station at 7:00 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning and is scheduled to arrive in Erie at 8:30 a.m., which is about 30 minutes faster than I can travel that distance by car - point to point.  The train takes a little longer than travel by car between my house and my in-law’s cottage in Waterford, but at least I don’t have to go through security or worry about traffic tie ups, or worse, being in an accident on I-90 in the fog or a blinding November snow storm.

 

Tonight as I look out the window of my downtown office window and see the dense fog blocking my view of the buildings across the street, I wonder how many other people would have taken the train this holiday season (or at other times for other purposes) if there were more trains available to more destinations traveling at multiple frequencies making rail travel more convenient.   Traveling by train seems so much more civilized…

 

In Cleveland, we have two trains per day going in each direction.  The eastbound Lakeshore Limited destined for New York City and Boston departs at 7:00 a.m., which is a respectable time.  But the westbound Lakeshore Limited destined for Toledo and Chicago departs at 3:30 a.m. well after the times downtown bars close.  The Capitol Limited operating between Washington, DC and Chicago with intermediate stations in Pittsburgh and Toledo come through Cleveland at 2:25 a.m. eastbound and 2:30 a.m. westbound.   I can at least entertain myself in a local watering hole and then take a taxi to the station to wait on the arriving trains.  It’s too bad we don’t have more choices of trains, destinations and times. 

 

We Americans have been investing heavily in our air and highway system over the past 50 years.  Unlike the Europeans, Chinese and Japanese, we have allowed our rail passenger system to deteriorate to third world standards during the same time frame.  The Amtrak train operating between New York and Chicago takes 20 hours and 30 minutes today.  Fifty years ago the New York Central ended operation of the 20th Century Limited, a luxury train that took 16 hours to cover this same distance.  This is progress?  Yes, airplanes cover this distance in about two hours.  But now add in the time for security checkpoints, waiting for lost luggage and traveling to and from distant airport terminals and you begin to see that travel by train can be competitive with air travel on certain routes.  Most studies show that train travel is extremely competitive with air travel for trips below 500 miles and faster than air for trips less than 3 hours in duration.  As the chart  shows, rail market share for intercity trips is remarkably high for trips under two hours.  No wonder I am taking the train to Erie!

 

 

Our total reliance on our air system for intercity transportation leaves Americans with one of the worst transportation systems among the world’s leading industrialized nations, as delays, poor performance and indifferent customer service continue to show.  Independent government reports state that expanding existing airports will do nothing to help relieve our long-term intercity travel needs, especially as our population continues to grow and travel between major cities continues to be important for our economic growth.  September 11th also has shown us that total reliance on commercial aviation is extremely vulnerable.  What have we done to change this in the six years since September 11, 2001?  Nothing, absolutely nothing!

 

Misinformed critics of Amtrak and the current Bush Administration have attempted to kill Amtrak over the course of the past eight years.  They continue to make statements about Amtrak that say something like:

 

Amtrak has a debt of more than $3.5 billion. Amtrak has never made a profit in its 35 years of operation. We continue to subsidize this money losing operation to the tune of $1.2 billion each year…

 

These highly-charged statements continually cast a pall over passenger rail service by characterizing it as a perennial money loser.  So, let’s be fair.  Let’s look at air travel.

 

According to a variety of published sources, airline debt in the United States has risen significantly, with some estimates placing it as high as $100 billion.  From 2001 through 2005, the U.S. airline industry reported total net losses of approximately $42.3 billion for the five year period.  In response to the industry’s financial condition right after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack, Congress provided or made available several forms of financial relief amounting to well over $20 billion. Otherwise, the losses for this period would have exceeded $62 billion. This subsidy was in addition to other annual federal, state and local subsidies to the airline industry for operation and maintenance of the air traffic control system, airport security, airline terminals, airport runways and facilities and access roads and public transportation to airports.  Total subsidies from federal, state and local sources are estimated to be in excess of $6 billion annually.  The Airport and Airway Trust Fund collects revenues from aviation users through various excise taxes on airline tickets to fund improvements to air navigational facilities and airports, and some Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) operations and maintenance functions.  Airlines don’t pay these taxes or fees.  Airline passengers do.  Airlines are also exempt from most fuel taxes and don’t have the same restrictive rules regarding wheelchair access as trains do. 

 

Despite all the money invested in airlines and related infrastructure, the net profit of the airline industry in its 78-year history is less than zero.  It is substantially less than zero when the government’s research and development of aircraft and avionics technology and training of military pilots is taken into consideration.   The airlines recently have begun to make profits again.  Have you noticed the better service and meals at meal time?

 

The substantial public investment in the airline industry and the interstate highway system, although justified on the grounds of economic development by improving mobility, caused the privately-owned and financed passenger rail industry to decline and transition to public ownership despite latent demand for passenger train travel.  We have fewer choices today and our transportation system is less efficient.  It takes more fuel for an airplane carrying 150 people to takeoff in Chicago destined for Cleveland than a train would use carrying 500 people the entire distance.

 

Isn’t it time to re-think our public investments in transportation infrastructure?  Shouldn’t we be seeking a more balanced and rational approach to transport system investment? Shouldn’t we be providing people with meaningful and viable travel choices?  Why should we be forced to choose between driving our cars and flying?  Shouldn’t we have a national transportation and energy policy that allows each mode of transport to operate at peak efficiency thereby saving taxpayer’s money and conserving precious fuel?

 

The Senate recently passed SB 294, the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2007.  The bill authorizes funding for Amtrak’s capital and operating needs to maintain current operations, upgrade equipment, and return the Northeast Corridor (NEC) to a state of good repair.  Over the life of the bill, Amtrak’s operating subsidy is reduced by 40% through cost cutting, restructuring, and reform while capital funding is increased.  The bill creates an intercity passenger rail capital grant program for states similar to highway and transit funding initiatives.  Senator Brown voted for it.  Senator Voinovich voted against it.  The Bush Administration opposes this bill and the accompanying bill in the House of Representatives.

 

The Ohio Rail Development Commission has prepared the Ohio Hub Plan, a plan for reconnecting Ohio’s major cities with fast, frequent and reliable passenger train service.  If this rail passenger service improvement is to materialize so we can realize the economic benefits predicted by recent economic impact studies, then the federal assistance program contemplated in this Senate Bill must be passed into law.

 

One parting thought as I prepare to walk to Tower City to take the Rapid home tonight, the war in Iraq has cost the taxpayers about $800 billion so far with no end in sight.  That’s about $2,600 per person.  The cost of the Senate bill to the American taxpayer is estimated to be $35 per person.  We could have built 24,000 miles of brand new European-style high-speed passenger rail lines connecting all major cities in the United States for the cost of the Iraq war.  This is something to think about while eating breakfast in the dining car as I take the train to Erie tomorrow …

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Wow. Instead of improving the lives of all Americans -- you know, we could have used the war money to fund college education for _every_ current high school student in America, or adopt mandatory preschooling for all youngsters -- we went about "improving" the lives of others. What a shame too, because of that, we are not able to pursue our own interests -- such as long-distance, high-speed rail that is often put on the backburner because it is "too costly."

 

*sigh* We have such screwed up priorities.

Where does one get information on how often the Lakeshore Limited is "on time"?  I am planning a trip from Cleveland to Albany, NY in "the dead of winter" and am contemplating arrival times and getting a rental car, etc. 

 

I have an impression that the routes west of Cleveland get delayed in that busy corridor.  (I suppose this discussion could have been in the Urbanbar forum.)

Wow. Instead of improving the lives of all Americans -- you know, we could have used the war money to fund college education for _every_ current high school student in America, or adopt mandatory preschooling for all youngsters -- we went about "improving" the lives of others. What a shame too, because of that, we are not able to pursue our own interests -- such as long-distance, high-speed rail that is often put on the backburner because it is "too costly."

 

*sigh* We have such screwed up priorities.

 

Another perspective: The $600 billion we've spent in Iraq would have constructed 24,000 miles of European-style high speed rail on our own soil  and would have done far more for our energy security.

Where does one get information on how often the Lakeshore Limited is "on time"?  I am planning a trip from Cleveland to Albany, NY in "the dead of winter" and am contemplating arrival times and getting a rental car, etc. 

 

Go to www.amtrak.com and use the "train status" feature shown in the center of the home page. For the train to Albany from Cleveland, type "CLE" in the "arrives" space, and type train number "48" and you can select different days going back about a week to see some trends. For the arrival history in Albany, use Amtrak's three-digit station code "ALB".

 

I have an impression that the routes west of Cleveland get delayed in that busy corridor.  (I suppose this discussion could have been in the Urbanbar forum.)

 

You will note that Amtrak's eastbound 'Lake Shore Limited' Train No. 48 tends to perform on-time quite frequently between Chicago and Cleveland. It tends to perform worse between Cleveland and New York City. I haven't followed the on-time status for the westbound Train No. 49. So what's the difference at Cleveland? To the west of Cleveland, the rail line is owned and dispatched by Norfolk Southern Corp. To the east of Cleveland, the rail line is owned and dispatched by CSX Transportation Inc.

 

This is just a stark reminder that NS tends to be more friendly to passenger trains than CSX.

From the data at www.amtrak.com , Lakeshore Limited arrived in Albany late on most days, but never more than 90 minutes; most delays were half that.  Return performance from Albany was about the same.  Thanks

The ride across New York state is quite beautiful in winter, especially if there's lots of fresh snow.

From the data at www.amtrak.com , Lakeshore Limited arrived in Albany late on most days, but never more than 90 minutes; most delays were half that.  Return performance from Albany was about the same.  Thanks

 

Note also that #48's eastbound departure from Cleveland has been on-time almost every day.

I had a chance to take Amtrak from Cleveland to San Diego (La to San Diego is a commuter rail jointly run by Amtrak and CalTran).

 

The first leg was on the Capitol LImited, which was over 2 hrs late. I had my wife and two kids with me. While someone from the train station was nice enough to call at 11pm to tell us the train would be an hour late, we still had to sit in the station for another hour.

 

As KJP has pointed out, those eastern legs are beholden to CSX, and have to stop every time a freight train comes through. We had the same problem from Cleveland to Chicago. We ended up being 3.5 hours late getting into the station there. While I didn't care as I had a long layover anyway, there were many people who were quite upset. Same thing. We would sit and wait while freight trains went by. As our train was held up longer, it got further behind schedule compounding the problem.

 

The train is a really great way to travel, if you have the time and the money. I spent a fortune on sleeper cars, since it was a 2 and a half day trip each way. As it is right now, it really isn't a viable cross country alternative, but I'll say two things. 1) the train was full the whole way with both people commuting between towns, and old folks who were taking it recreationally, and 2) for a lot of towns on the train I took to LA (Southwest Express), the train is really the only thing connecting them to the rest of the world. Taking it away would be devastating.

A minor correction:  On the Capitol Limited route, CSX owns the tracks east of Pittsburgh. West of Pittsburgh, the Capitol Limited uses tracks owned by Norfolk Southern. But if CSX can't get the Capitol within a half-hour or so of its scheduled arrival in Pittsburgh, then it falls out of its "window" between NS's scheduled freight trains. If Amtrak stays within the window, NS will give it dispatching priority over every other train on its rail line. If it falls out of the window (and its not NS's fault), NS will give Amtrak one of, if not the lowest dispatching priority.

 

By the way, if the train is running really late (you can check "Train Status" on line at www.amtrak.com and get some sleep at home. But it's nice to hear that Cleveland station personnel are continuing the practice of calling passengers to keep them informed.

 

Another option is to see if Amtrak can rebook you on the other train to Chicago (Lake Shore Limited), which leaves Cleveland just after 3 a.m. While that's not much of a time difference than a two-hour-late Capitol Limited, if the Lake Shore Limited gets to Cleveland close to on-time, NS will keep it on time to Chicago and you have to be stuck in sidings waiting for freight trains. If CSX is running the Lake Shore late too (CSX owns the tracks from Cleveland east to New York City via Buffalo), then NS will also stick it in sidings west of Cleveland.

From the Houston (Texas) Chronicle:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/travel/frommer/5332418.html

 

Opponents of Amtrak rely on hard-to-understand ideological arguments

By ARTHUR FROMMER

 

I am constantly surprised by the responses to my pleas for support of

Amtrak. At a time when we are all so painfully aware of the need to

limit the use of oil and reduce emissions of hothouse gases, I would

have thought it self-evident that expansion of our railroads - the

single most energy-efficient form of transportation - would receive

broad approval.

 

 

OUTSTANDING!

Outstanding indeed!!! These two articles/commentaries should be merged into an op-ed and sent far and wide!!!

 

BTW, the comment about the railroads being self sufficient to the point where they can tell the oil companies to drop dead is a valid one. Railroads historically rolled their own and were quite independent. It's not too much of a stretch to imagine them stringing their own wire and going electric.

 

Here's another one tho...back in the 1950's some GM execs wanted poor quality parts that would wear out faster sold to the railroads so they could make more money from the parts business. They never did, because they soon realized the railroads would simply dump GM and go elsewhere.

I think the writing is beginning to appear on the wall and the opponents won't be able to blockade much longer-- provided we get through January 20, 2009 without the current administration succeeding in shutting Amtrak down.  Still, as a seasoned and jaundiced advocate, I don't hold my breath. 

Re: the current anti-rail occupant of the White House:  I saw the following bumper sticker while stuck in rush hour traffic this evening: (Quote) "I never thought I'd miss Nixon."

^ That Sucks!    Sounds like all are OK.

 

A bunch of us are planning a trip by Amtrak from Cincinnati to NYC in about March.    Pretty decent rates of $160 round trip.   We are all, railroad virgins, If you will.   This will be a kick %$s trip for all of us, but I have a question that some of you trackheads (or New Yorkers) might be able to answer for me.   I don't want to get this thread too far off topic, but I am not all that familiar with New York.    I seem to have everything researched except the lodging part of things.  The train drops us at Penn Station and we take the subway to our ultimate destination.   That is where I was Hoping for some of your help in recommendations for hotel/motels near or in Manhattan.   Not looking to finance the lodging portion of this trip, but looking for something middle to lower end of the spectrum. 

 

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!   Thanks ahead of time!

^ Please let me know how it goes! I am wanting to do a similar trip eventually.

This place is a fairly well-known youth hostel:

 

http://www.gershwinhotel.com

 

I've spent about 17 nights of my life at this place, the second time I was there the room didn't have any windows and I slept until 6pm one day, missed the entire day.  Actually it looks like they've fixed the place up a lot, when I was there in 2000 I think the rooms were about $20 night with five people to a room but it looks like they're up to $40 now.  They've got parties on the roof and a little bar on the ground floor and a piano in the lobby.  It's a bit pretentious in an art school kind of way but for $40/night in New York you can't complain too much. 

 

The Amtrak rates out of Cincinnati really aren't bad at all, comparable price and time-wise with Greyhound and I can guarantee it's a helluva lot more comfortable than the bus.  Plus no transfers in the middle of the night.  I've only ridden Amtrak on the east coast where it's way more expensive than the bus ($65 versus $20 one-way between Boston and New York).  More comfortable, yes, but not much faster if at all.  It's not too wise to walk to Union Terminal in the middle of the night so good luck getting a cab or getting someone to drop you off in the middle of the night. 

Appreciate it!

wholly crapinski. i just saw brewmasters reply post. greatest reply ever written. gotta love those plain talking tell it like it is texans (and i dont mean that connecticut yankee pretender in chief).

.... That is where I was Hoping for some of your help in recommendations for hotel/motels near or in Manhattan.   Not looking to finance the lodging portion of this trip, but looking for something middle to lower end of the spectrum. 

 

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!   Thanks ahead of time!

 

Hey, just crash at mrnyc's crib! I'm sure he wouldn't mind.... ;)

 

Seriously though, the ride through the New River Gorge is very pretty, and there are a number of other very scenic sections of the ride. Unfortunately, since the train you are riding (the Cardinal) is on CSX-owned and dispatched tracks, CSX will likely delay your train.

 

A tip:  before you head down to Union Terminal, check with www.amtrak.com and see "train status" on the home page. In the section for "arrives" -- type in "CIN" for the station code for Cincinnati and #50 for your train number. You can start doing this at any time after it leaves Chicago and check as often as you'd like. Of course, the closer the train gets to Cincinnati, the more accurate the projected arrival time will be.

 

If after #50 leaves Indianapolis, Train Status shows your train is expected to arrive Cincinnati less than 30 minutes late, then I would head down to the station as if it is going to be on-time. Trains can make up a little bit of time here and there. But if #50 is more than 30 minutes late -- especially if it's a lot later -- then hang out in the comforts of your home rather than wait at Union Terminal. Just be sure to set an alarm!!

^Thanks!

 

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks ahead of time!

 

I stayed at the Hotel Pennsylvania a few years back. It's right across the street from Penn. It was for a wedding though, so the rate was pre-negotiated. OK hotel, not great. Recently renovated rooms, but the doors looked like something you'd find in a submarine...

 

It was about $170 a night, which comparatively speaking isn't awful for NYC. Depending on how far ahead you book, you might even get a better rate. 

Security camera video of the Amtrak crash...

 

http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i6/PerRock/?action=view&current=amtrak.flv

WOW! Damn lucky that the passenger train's cars didn't fly off to the sides and strike one of those moving freight trains -- especially the tank cars in train closest to the camera. Wonder what was in those tank cars?

Exactly my thought. Those tank cars could have been carrying something benign like corn syrup or any number of hazmat loads.  Amtrak and the NS got lucky.

It was a piece of luck that the last car in the freight train was a single container loaded on a flat. It was low , and the end of the car provided a ramp that lifted the Amtrak locomotive off its trucks and let it ride up and over. It wasn't exactly a soft impact, but it wasn't anything like what might have happened if the end of the freight train had been cars of rock or coal, or loads of steel coils or steel beams, all likely cargo in that territory, or if they had hit another locomotive head-on.

 

In those scenarios, the impact could have been much harder and the Amtrak cab could have been crushed. Derailment of freight cars and/or passenger cars, possibly into the moving freight trains on either side, would have been more likely.

 

The video makes one wonder what the Amtrak engineer was thinking. Subsequent news releases have stated that he was aware of the signal indication, but accelerated to 40mph anyway. The track curves there, and the presence of trains on both adjacent tracks severely shortened the line of sight. In those circumstances, the 15mph speed called for by the signal would have made for a pretty hard stop by the time he could see the freight train.

Post edited 9-4-09 to comply with terms of use

Link to the full report:

 

http://www.dot.state.wi.us/projects/state/rail-vision-2050.htm

This is very good news.  The plan details a roll out in 3 stages:

 

2015 - Ohio One high speed line running from Cincinnati to Cleveland (through Columbus).  The two existing AMTRAK lines will run as usual.  (One runs from the east to Cincinnati, Indy, and Chicago.  The other from DC to Cleveland, Toledo, to Chicago).

        -USA High Speed lines: 1. Connects all major cities in California. 

                                              2. Connects Pacific Northwest Cities (Seattle, Vancouver, Portland, Eugene)

                                              3. North East US (New York, Boston, etc)

                                              4. DC to Charolette via Raleigh page 37

 

2030 - Ohio. - No Change

          -USA - All major markets are connected.  Among them are: Las Vegas, Atlanta, Boise, Florida, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Dallas, Houston, most large cities page 38

 

2050 - Ohio 1. The existing Cincinnati-Cleveland Line is extended northward through Buffalo? to Toronto

                          2.  Columbus - Toledo - Detroit

                          3.  Columbus - Pittsburg (connects through to Pilly)

                          4.  Clevland - Pittsburg  (connects through to Pilly)

                          5.  Cincinnati - Louisville page39

 

        - USA- The network are themselves connected, creating a large high speed rail solution.

 

In Ohio, Columbus emerges as a big winner.  They will have 4 major lines running through the city by 2050. 

Nationally, Lexington is one of the bigger losers.  They are one of the only 'major' cities that will not have high speed rail.

Though the map accounts for the proposed Ohio Hub routes, I think the intent of the Hub Plan is to have those routes up and running before 2050.  Still, this is an ecouraging development and I hope it serves to put more pressue on Washington to get real about rail.

Jessehallum, This is just a plan (and a very conceptual one at that). And like all plans what results from them, if anything, is often different than what it is in the plan. But it would be nice if Columbus "will have" any passenger rail service, though preferably developed long before 2050.

 

BTW, 79 mph is not high speed -- 110 mph is close. The only high-speed rail services identified in the document are Amtrak's Acela in the Northeast Corridor and the California's proposal that is facing serious problems even if federal funding is available.

 

I found it interesting that the maps showed all the Ohio Hub routes proposed to have top speeds of 79 mph. Noozer: Where did they get that idea?

 

Also, I don't like government reports like this saying when certain routes should be developed. The purpose of a report is to identify a need, estimated costs, sources of potential revenues and a time frame to implement all the needs. Find out how much money is needed, get some project scoring criteria established and let the states, railroads and other stakeholders determine for themselves which projects they want to be advanced to implementation and when.

all of ohio does well in that plan, seem like NC gets more rail than needed