Recent content by William W.

Capitol Limited would seem like the easiest conversion. It would also in theory streamline operations by making DC an entirely Viewliner station.

Me, just waiting for a daily Cardinal.

I also saw your train! It was cool to be sitting in NYP just as 67 pulled in. Glad I woke up briefly.

Well whatever it is, the rough spots are amplified when sleeping on a Viewliner vs sitting in a seat on the Acela. Certain points felt similar to the Buckingham Branch section of the Cardinal. I'm not complaining, just conveying an observation.

Zero announcements, and I got my complimentary Woodford on the rocks. Night y'all Overall it was a good experience. Tracks between Baltimore and NYP can definitely be a bit rough, but otherwise it felt like any other LD Viewliner sleeper train. I would definitely take again, especially on a day...

Consist tonight consists of power, baggage car, Viewliner I sleeper, cafe car w/biz class, and four coaches. I think the sleeper used to be on the rear (?), so that's a nice development. The SCA seems to know what he's doing, and the snack box looks good.

Seems rather silly to put unnecessary mileage on equipment, but that's government for you I suppose. I'm doing WAS-BOS in a few weeks to see what it's like. Used points on a roomette. I'll let y'all know how it goes.

If we're talking about keeping a "flagship" western LD train, that would be it.  I will say that it has probably the best corridor of any of the western trains. Chicago to Denver seems quite popular, and is well-timed. I don't think any of the other trains have a similar corridor. 

The CZ is certainly worth saving. If we're being honest, the Sunset Limited probably should have ended years ago. The Southwest Chief may die anyway with the track situation. The Empire Builder is an open question, but I'm under the impression it's popular among the members who represent the...

This is an area that Amtrak really needs to fix. The BC product needs consistency across the board, and the amenities need to reflect the price. I don't see why it can't offer similar amenities as short-haul business class on an airline. Complimentary drinks (including one free alcoholic drink)...

Not much different from an Admiral Club in that regard.  FWIW when I was there recently, they had rotated in some finger sandwich type offerings. Probably to correspond with the afternoon LD departures. It was perfectly fine, and much better than the DC location. 

The DC location finally has new furniture, but otherwise the club is still the same. They really need to upgrade the food and beverage options. 

A third track is being built, but a fourth track isn’t possible with the current right of way. Supposedly the new track will allow for 90MPH operation, but if CSX is in control, I don’t see that happening. 

The breaking point for me was watching VRE trains being forced to unload on the wrong track at single platform stations. This happened at least three or four times a month when I was taking it daily. What that means is using a single door and having passengers cross the tracks on a makeshift...

Something needs to be done. That line is an absolute mess, especially for commuters. CSX trains constantly breaking down, bad dispatching of the VRE (seriously CSX, it’s a set schedule), and crippling summer heat restrictions (which somehow isn’t a problem on the NS-operated Manassas Line). ...