What exactly is Amtrak's damage with route planning?

[jis]

Apologize in advance for being a technonerd.

And I might be wrong.

BUT -- I think - the problem of finding all possible connections on published schedules is "NP-complete" or possibly less if the number of connections and departure times is small.

For big systems with small time constraints, like days almost certain that there are so many ways to get from A to B in the next week that no computer can possibly figure them all. Proven computational fact.

Time to go and re-learn what NP Complete means I am afraid

 

[Bjartmarr]

For big systems with small time constraints, like days almost certain that there are so many ways to get from A to B in the next week that no computer can possibly figure them all. Proven computational fact.

That is correct, but irrelevant. The number of Amtrak trains is fairly small, you can do a huge amount of pruning on the search tree, and you only need explore the search tree 5 or 6 trains deep: all reasonable routes to anywhere in the Amtrak system are no more than 5 or 6-ish trains long.

As the OP, I would really appreciate it if we could take the "what's the most ridiculous number of trips we can generate from A to B" discussion to another thread. It has pretty well derailed this one.

 

[niemi24s]

Wasn't trying to derail the thread or ruffle anybody's feathers - merely wanted to add something concrete to a "Wouldn't it be nice if...." type of discussion that I don't think could possibly lead to any change in the Amtrak reservation system. That's because - unless I'm terribly wrong:

• No member of this forum has any influence on Amtrak

• Nobody with any any influence in Amtrak pays any attention to what's going on in this forum.

Am I wrong?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Wasn't trying to derail the thread or ruffle anybody's feathers - merely wanted to add something concrete to a "Wouldn't it be nice if...." type of discussion that I don't think could possibly lead to any change in the Amtrak reservation system. That's because - unless I'm terribly wrong:

• No member of this forum has any influence on Amtrak

• Nobody with any any influence in Amtrak pays any attention to what's going on in this forum.

Am I wrong?

Possibly wrong as there are Amtrak employees who are members and read these forums.

 

[niemi24s]

Possibly wrong as there are Amtrak employees who are members and read these forums.

But are any of them in a position to make or bring about the desired changes?

Or, if not, take it upon themselves to drop a note in an Amtrak suggestion box?

And I'm coming around to partially share the OP's point of view. The system could be better.

What do we do now? Actually do something to try to bring about the desired improvements? Or continue to merely commiserate with each other?

 

[NW cannonball]

Posted about theoretical limits.

Amtrak ancient software.

Compare hyperdia

Get AMTRAK software into the 20'th century?

Could happen, not likely.

21 century -- so many do stupid ancient rail ideas -- let's have paper tickets