If passenger train service in the U.S. were brought up to higher standards would you be a rider?

Question

Some of us may remember pre-AMTRAK trains run by railroads and some of us may have ridden passenger trains in other countries. I fondly remember Santa Fe trains and trains in Japan and Belgium. I also enjoyed AMTRAK trains on the East Coast.

If there were more trains, and they were faster and more reliable and were affordable, would you park your Hummer and take a roomette for the night (and day?) (I would.)

Answer 1

Absolutely!

A great many people would, I hear that comment a lot.

Answer 2

Nope.

Answer 3

Absolutely... and I think the definition of "Higher-Standards" needs to be narrowed to availabliity, reliablity, and reduced cost.

I commute daily on CalTrain in the San Francisco / San Jose Area, and it is WONDERFUL !! Inexpensive, reliable / timely, clean and safe.

I make a monthly "vacation commute" on the Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) from San Jose to Stockton (~90 miles), and THAT ride is actually CHEAPER and QUICKER than driving (during commute-hours).  A 2 hour drive is 2.5 hours of relaxing, typing, reading, or listening to tunes.

AMTRAK BITES though... I'd LOVE to travel further on the rails, but the intra-state travel on AMTRAK is just too pricey and unreliable (12-24 hour delays?).

I PRAY that the State of California actually gets off their collective @sses and BUILDS the proposed CAL-HI-SPEED-RAIL Corridor... and I'd like to see it extend PAST Sacramento: North and East... and also EAST from LA.

Answer 4

i would just seeing how economical they are (if i have the time).  Moving several hundred tons per 100 miles on one gallon of fuel! amazing.

Answer 5

I love trains. When I lived in California, I took commuter trains up and down the coast instead of driving.

Answer 6

Yes I have always liked train rides. They do need to make them faster so you can get to a lot of places at a good time. They should make them a little cheaper too. I think more people would use them too.

Answer 7

I would!  

I would love to spend my commute reading, playing or napping. Instead, I spend my commute yelling at the Jerk selfishly holding up traffic by speeding up, slowing down and not letting traffic by in the left(passing) lane.

Answer 8

If everyone rode the trains, it would save a lot of gas, and pollute the atmosphere a ton less.  that would be great, but if that many people were taking trains, the trains would have to have a lot of maintenance.

Answer 9

Definitely.  When I lived in Europe I took trains everywhere.  If I was touring a city, my car wasn't really an option.  Gas was expensive, parking was a *****, and half the time I didn't know how to get anywhere.

Taking a train to get somewhere, then riding the subway/bus while I was there was AWESOME!  Not only awesome but conveinient.  Public transportation was built around all the must see sites.