Quote Originally Posted by OakLeaf View Post
Don't write Amtrak, write your representatives in Congress and ask for reasonable infrastructure support. Speaking of deaf ears.
Good point, given that Amtrak is government-run. Like I've said, it's my preferred way to travel for trips of a certain length (long enough for the drive to be a real drag but not so long that flying is the only practical way to go despite how much it sucks) but when the fares are ridiculously high it's just not going to work. I really think raising the fares that much is counterproductive given the decrease in ridership it is bound to cause. I'm surprised Amtrak hasn't started doing better now that flying has become more and more of a PITA...when you take the train you don't have to go through nearly the hassle you do at the airport, and the seating is much more comfortable/less cramped. Not to mention some trains (unfortunately not the Downeaster) have a quiet car...that means not having to listen to other people's loud conversations or screaming babies the entire trip, and even if one does have the misfortune of finding oneself seated near an annoying passenger, there is the option of moving to another car to get away from them! Try doing THAT on a plane... Maybe they need to do some sort of advertising campaign to talk up the advantages of taking the train vs. flying.