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I don't see anything that replaces the SSL for coach. There is a café car, true, but the text focuses on food service booths rather than lounge chairs that prioritize landscape viewing and hanging out. For example, the table on 1-16 calls out 27 units of "table/lounge" seating for first class...

My hope is that the order is configured somehow, someway to keep the production line open long-term, for possible route expansion and replacement of wrecked equipment. Our start-stop approach to equipment purchases prevents the build-up of institutional knowledge, a trained workforce, robust...

There's a middle ground. All the stuff that needs FRA approval already has it (Nippon Sharyo has exited the chat). All the other stuff such as interior fitments, HVAC systems and the like, are just matters of how the chassis is upfitted. New upfitting designs are easy to implement relative to...

If you haven’t figured it out by now, here’s the truth: the Anglosphere (UK, US, Canada, Australia, etc) sucks at building infrastructure. Basically every project everywhere goes way over time and budget (HS2, anyone?). Thinking of diverting CAHSR funds to conventional rail? To highways? To...

REALLY REALLY REALLY high speed! I thought I read somewhere Alstom had a factory there, but maybe not. 🤷‍♂️

In Europe, Alstom puts out a damn fine HSR product. Alstom U.S. puts out damn fine conventional rolling stock (Pacific Surfliner cars are Alstom and they're workhorses). So I'm trying to understand what's going on with the new Acelas. I wonder how much the manufacturing issues can be traced...

I seem to remember the Pacific Parlor Car had swivel seats...

Excellent find! For me, this is the money shot in that presentation: the "Lessons Learned": Standardization and Innovation can be in conflict at times. Overly-detailed specification may limit equipment choices in a constantly changing supply market. It is challenging to accurately...

I'm a bit surprised Caltrans would go through the expense because those are fixed-term lease cars (free use for repair, I think) and have already been around for a while, so how much time could be left on the lease? Also, with new corridor cars coming, the days of the SuperSurfers are ever so...

Were I to speculate, I would say Amtrak communicates with the restaurant well ahead of time, letting the restaurant know when the train is expected in town, and the restaurant schedules its prep accordingly. I would further speculate that beyond a certain time window, the restaurant takes a pass...

It's like venturing into a Disney-ish world of innocence to read a first-timer's amazements about something that is routine to me.

Relevant to the Philadelphia crash and other topics that come up from time to time, here's a reasonably easy-to-understand primer on signaling systems from the 1800s until now. It includes an introduction to many of today's most popular alphabet soups like ACSES, I-ETMS, ETCS and more. Oooh! I...

Disappointing, but not surprising.

Some interesting reading, even if none of it is too surprising. The request, on muckrock.com: The 300 resulting pages, heavily redacted, from the same site.

"Crescent rolls"? How droll. Now I'm hungry.

Yeah, that is strange. I sent a "contact us" message asking what's up. If I get a reply, I'll post it here.

Filming in and about LAUS is almost a weekly event, but filming on rolling stock is unusual. I wonder if anyone from Metrolink was there checking fares? :P

Today's southbound CS was on time out of Santa Barbara.

Love love love those alerts! So convenient when I'm out for the day and need to know if I have to get to the station on time for my return trip or if have bonus time coming (whether I want bonus time or not is another matter…). Thank you!

NTD isn't about preaching to the choir, it's about the great unwashed masses who have only the vaguest conception that passenger trains still run (I'm sure you've heard the knock that Amtrak is "America's Best-Kept Secret"). For those unknowing people who may have turned out on a whim or a whiff...