Recent content by Northwestern

I do agree that Dreamstar must have modern and comfortable equipment. Even if prices approach or go a little beyond the airline costs, I think it would still would be very popular. I do think, however, they need different classes of service. https://is.gd/FnFnFN Lie flat beds and Wi_Fi...

There is something I find helpful regarding the hard copy booklet of Amtrak timetables. I have a hard copy (2015) with a fold out map of the entire national Amtrak routes. Along the routes are numbers encircled. The numbers refer to page numbers, in the timetable booklet, for Amtrak trains...

Thanks for the information, joelkfla. I have been using the RPA timetables. However, Amtrak timetables should be on the Amtrak website, in pdf form as it once was. The article mentions the influx of airline people on Amtrak's board of directors. They should realize that Amtrak is not a...

Of all the questionable Amtrak decisions, in the past, I think that the most idiotic one has been Amtrak's inability to understand the value of timetables. I still have a 2015 hard copy of national Amtrak timetables and it has sort of become a bible. Of course, not up to date, but it still...

TRAINS has an interesting article on Amtrak delays and problems with communicating those delays: https://is.gd/d9qKuD Silver Star text messages showing delays. "The average wait time to answer 800-USA-RAIL calls dropped from 9.5 minutes in Fiscal 2022 to 5.5 minutes in 2023, but more than...

I will definitely recommend a Red Bus tour along the "going to the sun" road. I think you need reservations if you drive the road, yourself. Also, there are many car accidents due to people admiring the view rather than paying attention to the road. The last time I was at Glacier, I took the...

***************************************************************** I agree for the most part. But in some cases, the station website doesn't always give you information you would like to know. For example, a few years ago I was thinking of boarding the Empire Builder in Vancouver, WA. I...

Yes, I can see that excessive time on the phone could be a problem for station clerks and attendants. It could interfere with their normal work duties. Although I absolutely hate phone trees, it might provide useful information if provided by a local Amtrak station or depot. "Press 1 for...

I noticed that a very few Amtrak stations will list their phone number. Many a time, if you go to the station website, they will list the "800-USA-RAIL" number but no station number. The Amtrak Union Station, in Portland, OR, does have a listed phone number. A while back, I tried to call the...

I am really hoping that the privately owned "Dreamstar Lines" passenger train, LA to the Bay Area, could come about. I think it could be an inspiration for further private development of passenger train lines across the country. https://is.gd/fJBzFZ It will offer multiple levels of service...

Old travelogue from the 1950's. I like the fresh trout that was served, and the Zephyrettes. The Cable Car lounge was, in some opinions, 2nd only to the Turquoise Room on the Super Chief.

Here is an interesting video on the history of passenger trains along the Pacific Northwest corridor, including the history of the development of the Amtrak Cascades. The video is a few years old, but still interesting.

Recent information on the Heartland Flyer. Note the proposed timetables. https://is.gd/l8qm3Y

************************ Santa Rosa to Boise on Thursdays and Sundays " " " to Kalispell on Wednesdays and Saturdays " " " to Salem on Mondays and Fridays " " " to Pasco on Wednesdays and Saturdays. No information, yet, on days for the return trips. Also no...

************************************************* I wonder if more airlines will drift away from the "hub" system and start flying from smaller cities to various destinations in rural areas. Here in Santa Rosa, a small, budget conscious airline called "Avelo" is shifting its base from Las Vegas...