And here in Finland, new overnight trains on the way!
VR buying new sleeper, vehicle coaches for €50m
The overnight ones here don't have a daytime configuration though. They're used from the big cities in the south. You board at night and then you arrive in Lapland the next morning...
Yes, but back then you could actually look at the seat map online before buying the ticket and choose a seat. And they still don't use the digital displays that are above each seat. For some reason they took away assigned seating after having it 20 years ago before finally rolling it out again...
I'm sure someone else remembers better than I do, but when the current Acela was rolled out 20 years ago you could actually view a seatmap on the Amtrak website and choose your seat... for first class at least. And I even think the trains did/do have those LCD digital displays (although now...
Correct, that's the goal but it's not what the Chargers are used for. They are diesel engines that power electric traction motors. I think he assumed diesel-electric meant it could use a diesel engine or draw power from the catenary so wouldn't need an engine change. Diesel-electric gets energy...
Diesel-electric doesn't mean dual power. It's a diesel engine that creates electricity which is used to drive the traction motor. It doesn't mean it can get power from overhead catenary. An engine change is still currently required for the trains that leave the catenary.
That's basically how the restaurant cars in Finland are set up on their double-decker trains. You walk in and there is seating at least on one end, and then you walk down a few steps to more seating and where the service counter is. Upstairs are booths and window-facing swivel seats. And yes...
Yeah it's open to everyone. It's pretty much the same restaurant car on the overnight trains and their normal day trains.
Breakfast omelette
Meatball lunch
Far away shot of the actual service counter from my seat.
Warm falafel salad and club sandwich options!
But back to dining, in January I took the overnight train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi in Finland and booked myself a sleeping compartment. The food was not included, but the dining/snack car was basically a full restaurant car. You could get snacks or a full meal and it was all attended to by one...
Beats waking your friend up in the middle of the night, having him get dressed and go in the hall while you use the toilet next to the bed he's been trying to sleep in.
Well I certainly vote for removing them and having two shared ones down at the end of the car.
1. Traveling with someone makes it an annoying dance when someone has to use the toilet. Even worse in the middle of the night. Do you wake the person up to leave the room or do you just do it next to...
CBS This Morning had a nice segment this morning on the new trainsets. There were some shots of the new interiors.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/amtrak-new-acela-trains-first-look/
No name changes isn't just an Amtrak prohibition. It's standard in the airline industry too. They do it so people don't buy up cheap tickets and then resell them later on and do a name change to the buyer when walk-up prices go up