RailFanLNK
Conductor
Why do most of the routes run east and west? It seems if I want to catch the Empire Builder, it means boarding on the Zephyr in Lincoln NE to Chicago (going the opposite way from my destination of Seattle) and then going west to Seattle, or....driving 6 hours northward and catching it out of Fargo. Was there routes in the '70's and '80's where it was more efficient then going clear to Chicago. Also, if I want to go to the deep south, I still need to go north to Chicago. Has it always been this way? I know funds are limited but would there be much desire for a more "central" type hub?