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Simple solution: If someone wants to be extra helpful put a rough dollar amount and let the reader decide if that means it's affordable or luxurious. These days Marwood prices their budget brands (like Fairfield) as if they were mid-range or luxury locations leaving a giant hole where their...

Yeah, that does sound like SAS. They rarely lift a finger or treat their customers with any sympathy or respect. I've seen them proudly refuse the most minor of requests and talk in circles trying to dissuade potential customers from buying tickets. It's a bit of a mess here. I've noticed...

I just love how Julie is still batting 1.000 at providing the most useless automated service I've ever encountered. Never have I ever found a single task Julie was capable of doing competently, let alone better than some other method. It sounds like the new process is to call and wait for...

In the past the first full revenue sleeper was always behind a baggage car and a transdorm (on Western trains) and while it was not perfect it helped me a lot.

Speaking of possibilities is there a map of routes most likely to be suspended/abandoned in the next round of funding battles? I realize zero-budget proposals have a low chance of passing but it seems unlikely that current funding levels will last and anything that can be clawed back might be...

That building is neither owned or operated by Amtrak and is often locked or otherwise unavailable to Amtrak passengers. The part that is available is a platform and an awning, and that's not much to work with. Jim is right, it's rare and impractical to use SMC for bustitutions. Or at least it...

Even if every potential issue along the entire Maglev route is quickly resolved with no further time delays, cost overruns, or construction impediments Japan's working age population is projected to shrink around 10% before such a line can bridge Tokyo and Osaka. Knowning Japan's stance on...

SAS looks, sounds, and smells like a bus station and most businesses in the immediate vicinity are closed during calling times. I've never seen the toilets in a clean state and that includes being the first customer to enter the building as soon as they unlocked the door. I don't think SAS...

Sometimes I wonder if anyone ever tracks or verifies anything Amtrak staff do (or refuse to do) while the train is en route. Superliners had dedicated crew lounges when delivered but that never stopped the crew from using customer facilities anyway.

There was a pilot who came on the forum a while back making the claim that flying was better for the environment than taking Amtrak. While this is demonstrably untrue in an apples-to-apples sense it's possible that you can find some examples where it will be close. During the back and forth...

Even if Maglev lives up to the hype who among us would be willing to stomach double or triple HSR costs to get it? Does anyone think a majority of Americans (or most countries outside Japan) would be willing to risk public funds on such boutique tech? Would HSR projects in CA, NV, or TX be...

Two hours would have been within spec of the 500 Series Nozomi. To the best of my memory it was not operated that fast due to energy usage, which will only get worse with Maglev. Domestic flights in Japan are among the most energy efficient (per seat) in the world due to super dense seating...

Do you think you would have enjoyed the trip if Amtrak was willing to sell you two adjoining coach seats instead of forcing you to sit with a stranger?

I am unaware of any rule against flying with radio transceivers, nor am I aware of any known negative impact from the use of passive receivers, but turning them on in flight is not allowed on any airline I've checked (excepting GPS, WiFi, BT). Devices with visible antennas are likely to be seen...

Exactly. People naturally think of connections that occur in big cities that never sleep, but there are plenty of other connections that occur in the dead of night (SAS, KCY, OKC, NEW) or last so long you just want to get on with your trip already (STL, GBB, NOL) or require an overnight on your...

Maybe it's time to revisit the Limitation of Liability Act of 1851 and see if it's still accomplishing the original goal or perverting the course of justice. I realize these kinds of laws can be very difficult to change but mandating that infrastructure projects and maintenance plans need to...

The airshow folks spend so much time on clumsy 3D models that are mostly devoid of interesting data, but having surrounding flights displayed in near real time would be an excellent upgrade. Of course US airlines would probably never activate it the same way they never order/activate camera feeds.

Sudden seemingly random changes and feast or famine funding is a great way to make any government service look like a perennial basket case and prime the public for privatization or dissolution. We still struggle with this in the US with no end in sight and it's kind of a miracle we've retained...

I never said British Rail was in great shape before privatization but I am saying without re-nationalizing Network Rail significant portions of the British rail network would be unusable and abandoned. You cannot have much passenger growth without rails to run on. A private business plan that...

The Tokaido line currently operates near 180MPH and has already proven 200MPH is within the design capability. It's possible they could get it up to 220MPH in the future, which would already be among the fastest land speeds anywhere. Comparatively expensive and inefficient Maglev systems seem...