Passenger Trains > Do you ever talk about riding trains?

I ride BrightLine several times a month to Miami. I mentioned that last week at a volunteer service in which I assist.

--I would love to do that, where do you get the train?
--My grandson wants to ride.
--I hate driving on I-95, how much does the train cost?
--Tri-Rail is so slow, is this faster?

Frankly, I was surprised. The train has been around for a while.

But, they were happy to learn how easy it is. And, in first class you get free parking, free beer and snacks, and a lovely waiting area.

Do you ever talk about riding trains?

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I often ride Caltrain and BART to some volunteer work that I do, from San Jose to San Francisco and return.  When I mention this to people, I'm often met with a similar response.

But Caltrain has been around a lot longer than commuter rail in South Florida.  When I lived in Miami, I often took TriRail to West Palm Beach for work and most people were surprised to learn it was even possible, let alone convenient.

Yes.  Usually  a  surprise 'you  did?  Why? When?  I  tell them I  do it  but  don't  take  me  at  my  word. MANY  people  should  just  fly or  drive. If  you are  lucky  you  live  where  trains are  frewuent.I  am  not.   So I  just   tell them  friends  and  I  do it  and  find it  a  good enough  way  to  go.    City  center to  city  center. See the  country. Comfy.   One  question is  always  'how is the food"/  Oh  . Well... 

I talk about it all the time and am surprised to hear people say they didn't know we still had trains or I didn't know this city/town had a train.  

People from all over the country are particularly fascinated with the auto train and that service surprises more people than any other service and I get more questions about how that service works than any other train.

I often talk with people about riding trains while on a train trip and while in the met lounge in Chicago.

When I get a chance to mention taking the train (Amtrak) to someone, I usually get a fairly interested and animated response. Most people that I have that conversation with have no clue there is even a train option available. Amtrak is so invisible to the general public that it isn't even funny.

Most Americans in their 20's, 30's, and 40's, who didn't grow up in a metro area with mass transit or commuter rail, such as Chicago or Boston, have never ridden a train before.  Amtrak's system is so basic that virtualy the only Americans who have been exposed to train riding on Amtrak are in places like Sacramento or Galesburg that have corridor service.  So, if you are a railfan or passenger train advocate, you are exposing many people to the concept of train riding for the first time, regardless if it is Amtrak, excursions, commuter trains, or even light rail.  I have discovered this while volunteering on specials, and conversing with my fellow Amtrak passengers at dinner and in the lounge.    BSB  

Great points!  Here in south Florida, you can take the Tri-Rail directly into Miami International Airport.  The BrightLine requires a change of trains, but you can go to the airport, as well

I use Amtrak up and down the Northeast Corridor for business all the time.  All of my co-workers either drive or fly.  Recently I was in Arlington, VA with a co-worker at a meeting.  I had him drop me off at the Pentagon City Metro stop.  We had a bet - who would make it to the Garden State Parkway at the exit for Metropark first - me on Metro/Amtrak, him driving.  I was in my car getting onto the GSP as he was clearing the toll plaza at Exit 1 of the New Jersey Turnpike.  He was impressed but still goes to Arlington by car - you can lead the horse to water but you can't make him drink!

I live in Pittsburgh which is served daily by only two Amtrak trains, the Capitol Limited and Pennsylvanian.  Based on 30 years of conversations with others in Pittsburgh, I'd say many people in all age groups are aware that Amtrak serves Pittsburgh. 

This summer, there was a post on the Nextdoor group covering some of Pittsburgh's eastern neighborhoods asking which is better for traveling to New York, bus or train.  There were 72 replies to the question, most of which mentioned Amtrak.  While there were a few "never-agains" for Amtrak, many others, including myself, recommended the train.  Several people suggested driving to Harrisburg or Elizabethtown to catch a train as the number of trips is much greater.

Sometimes, when I hear people talk about traveling to Chicago, I suggest that they consider riding the Capitol Limited.  I tell people that the train leaves Pittsburgh at midnight.  They have to go to sleep.  Why not wake up in Chicago?  :)

I live in Louisville, Ky., the 5th largest city without Amtrak service.  I talk about the trains all of the time with my friends.  I've taken two trips with friends that just wanted to take a ride with me.  One friend could only take 4 days off so we went to Boston for a day and he enjoyed it.  The other friend drove up from Nashville.  We went to Seatle, Portland, and Emeryville to visit his relatives and he enjoyed it also.  One of the hard selling points for me is that I have to drive to Cincinnati (or Indianapolis) to catch a train that only runs 3 days a week in either direction.  Two years ago I took my son and his family to DC.  

Like others have mentioned, many don't even know you can catch a train across the country.  When they find that they can, they usually think it is going to take a week in each direction. They are also surprised at the fares.  

John

Yes, I suspect I’ve sold several dozen trips from Albany to NYC and down the corridor, and I know for sure that I’ve sold several long distance family trips on the western trains. Very few “never again” stories have come back to me, probably because I’ve never sugar coated the realities of train travel. 

It it boils down to the two big reasons for Amtrak:  in populated areas, it’s a great way to avoid traffic and parking hassles and in rural areas it’s a great way to chill out and see the countryside. 

It it helps that I worked with geologists, wildlife biologists, and other sciency people who could appreciate watching the world go by outside the window. 

At work, I was well known as the guy who could tell you when and where to go riding, either for fun or to avoid un-fun experiences. When my coworkers put together the flyer to announce my retirement, they used a train photo at the top, since everybody knew that was my passion.