In article ,
says...

On Mon, 02 Sep 2013 09:38:55 -0400, "F.O.A.D." wrote:

Japan Railway Comp

Once you get away from the Boston - DC corridor, there are not many
places where people would ride a train. Even there, if you are not
spending your visit in the city center, you need a car.
We are not Japan nor Europe.
The only place with a similar population density is the NE megopolis
and they have a train

There certainly is if there was a viable one to ride.

On 9/2/13 12:34 PM, iBoaterer wrote:
In article ,
says...

On Mon, 02 Sep 2013 09:38:55 -0400, "F.O.A.D." wrote:

Japan Railway Comp

Once you get away from the Boston - DC corridor, there are not many
places where people would ride a train. Even there, if you are not
spending your visit in the city center, you need a car.
We are not Japan nor Europe.
The only place with a similar population density is the NE megopolis
and they have a train

There certainly is if there was a viable one to ride.



I've taken the train a few times between D.C. and Florida, and it is
packed. The equipment is old but decently maintained, but the trackage
is just awful and there are hundreds of unprotected crossings. If you
rent a compartment, it is significantly more expensive than flying, but
you don't have the awful hassles of air travel.

D.C. to Philly or to NYC is a damned fine train trip, as is D.C. to New
Haven, though I usually get off the train in Milford. Now there's a new
stop that is also convenient...West Haven. Will try that the next time.

My wife took a sleeper car compartment to Chicago early this year and
said the trip was relaxing, with none of the airport bull**** you have
to go through these days.

On 9/2/13 1:52 PM, wrote:
On Mon, 02 Sep 2013 12:42:28 -0400, "F.O.A.D." wrote:

On 9/2/13 12:34 PM, iBoaterer wrote:
In article ,
says...

On Mon, 02 Sep 2013 09:38:55 -0400, "F.O.A.D." wrote:

Japan Railway Comp

Once you get away from the Boston - DC corridor, there are not many
places where people would ride a train. Even there, if you are not
spending your visit in the city center, you need a car.
We are not Japan nor Europe.
The only place with a similar population density is the NE megopolis
and they have a train

There certainly is if there was a viable one to ride.



I've taken the train a few times between D.C. and Florida, and it is
packed. The equipment is old but decently maintained, but the trackage
is just awful and there are hundreds of unprotected crossings. If you
rent a compartment, it is significantly more expensive than flying, but
you don't have the awful hassles of air travel.

As soon as TSA gets involved and that is coming, you will have the air
travel hassles.
I have taken the train to DC myself but it is not travel, it is an
adventure.


D.C. to Philly or to NYC is a damned fine train trip, as is D.C. to New
Haven, though I usually get off the train in Milford. Now there's a new
stop that is also convenient...West Haven. Will try that the next time.

I already said DC to NYC is the perfect use for a train as long as you
plan on staying in the city.

I bet when you got to Florida, you needed a car. Did you bring yours
on the train?
The last time I looked you could fly and rent a car for 2 weeks for
less than the Autotrain, traveling coach.
As you said a compartment is comparable with first class air fare and
you still might have a week's car rental left over.


Never been on the autotrain. We do get a compartment on the train to Jax
and back, and we use one of our relative's cars when we get there.

Pretty sure we'll be in Miami/Ft. Lauderdale in late winter next year.
We'll fly to Ft. Lauderdale and rent a car there. Car rentals in Florida
are still pretty inexpensive.

In article ,
says...

On Mon, 2 Sep 2013 12:34:21 -0400, iBoaterer wrote:

In article ,
says...

On Mon, 02 Sep 2013 09:38:55 -0400, "F.O.A.D." wrote:

Japan Railway Comp

Once you get away from the Boston - DC corridor, there are not many
places where people would ride a train. Even there, if you are not
spending your visit in the city center, you need a car.
We are not Japan nor Europe.
The only place with a similar population density is the NE megopolis
and they have a train

There certainly is if there was a viable one to ride.

There are plenty of trains in the US and they go off virtually empty.
That is why Amtrak is always on the public dole.
There are some routes that make sense and they succeed. Acela is one.
That does not translate well in most places.

Uh, we are talking about high speed rail, and you are wrong, most trains
have a good amount of people riding, but because they are not high
speed, they aren't to capacity.

Here in Florida they wanted to build a high speed train between Tampa
and Orlando. They problem is, they would really need to have a lot of
stops near both ends to make it attractive ... as a commuter train.
That is not conducive to "high speed".

You end up with the same problem I brought up before. You need a car
to get around Tampa and Orlando. Tourists are unlikely to travel in
between by train anyway. If they have a rental car, you are only
talking about a 1 - 1.5 hour drive. They would be at the other end,
checked into their hotel before you got through the train station on
both ends, if they "beamed" you to Tampa.

I agree wholeheartedly, our infrastructure sucks. Trouble is it sucks
because people like you are afraid of change and innovation.

"iBoaterer" wrote in message
...


I agree wholeheartedly, our infrastructure sucks. Trouble is it sucks
because people like you are afraid of change and innovation.

-----------------------------

The only way it will change in our society is if people (consumers of
products and services) want and demand it.
They are not keen on having things stuffed down their throats by the
government.

So far, nobody really wants or cares about high speed rail except for
some politicians and a handful of lobbyist.

On Mon, 2 Sep 2013 14:20:29 -0400, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

So far, nobody really wants or cares about high speed rail except for
some politicians and a handful of lobbyist.

===

There are some routes where high speed rail might make sense. Tampa
to Orlando is not yet one of them however. SanFrancisco to LA and
San Diego might work. Another possibility is Chicago to Florida
and/or NY to Florida. All of those routes see very heavy air travel.
If the Florida routes were planned correctly, you might get Tampa to
Orlando, FTL and MIA as part of the bargain. One of my neighbors is
in the process of driving his wife to Michigan because she hates to
fly. He ends up doing it 4 or 5 times a year.

In article , says...

On Mon, 2 Sep 2013 13:49:37 -0400, iBoaterer wrote:

Here in Florida they wanted to build a high speed train between Tampa
and Orlando. They problem is, they would really need to have a lot of
stops near both ends to make it attractive ... as a commuter train.
That is not conducive to "high speed".

You end up with the same problem I brought up before. You need a car
to get around Tampa and Orlando. Tourists are unlikely to travel in
between by train anyway. If they have a rental car, you are only
talking about a 1 - 1.5 hour drive. They would be at the other end,
checked into their hotel before you got through the train station on
both ends, if they "beamed" you to Tampa.

I agree wholeheartedly, our infrastructure sucks. Trouble is it sucks
because people like you are afraid of change and innovation.


A train offers absolutely NOTHING to "people" like me.
That is the problem.
I am not sure where I would take a train to

I just went to the WAMATA.com web site and plugged in my home address and my work address to
see what it would take to get from home to work. It will take 1 hour and 7 minutes and I get
to ride a bus to the Metro station, take a train a couple of stops and then take another bus
ride. It would take me 1 hour and 7 minutes and cost me $3.20. If I drive it takes 25 minutes
and about 1/4 of a gallon of gas. Even figuring in insurance and maintenance I would pay
about $2 at the most and I would get to work in less than 1/2 the time.

On 9/2/2013 8:07 PM, BAR wrote:
In article , says...

On Mon, 2 Sep 2013 13:49:37 -0400, iBoaterer wrote:

Here in Florida they wanted to build a high speed train between Tampa
and Orlando. They problem is, they would really need to have a lot of
stops near both ends to make it attractive ... as a commuter train.
That is not conducive to "high speed".

You end up with the same problem I brought up before. You need a car
to get around Tampa and Orlando. Tourists are unlikely to travel in
between by train anyway. If they have a rental car, you are only
talking about a 1 - 1.5 hour drive. They would be at the other end,
checked into their hotel before you got through the train station on
both ends, if they "beamed" you to Tampa.

I agree wholeheartedly, our infrastructure sucks. Trouble is it sucks
because people like you are afraid of change and innovation.


A train offers absolutely NOTHING to "people" like me.
That is the problem.
I am not sure where I would take a train to

I just went to the WAMATA.com web site and plugged in my home address and my work address to
see what it would take to get from home to work. It will take 1 hour and 7 minutes and I get
to ride a bus to the Metro station, take a train a couple of stops and then take another bus
ride. It would take me 1 hour and 7 minutes and cost me $3.20. If I drive it takes 25 minutes
and about 1/4 of a gallon of gas. Even figuring in insurance and maintenance I would pay
about $2 at the most and I would get to work in less than 1/2 the time.


And how would you get to work if you had anything to carry for work, or
deliver anything for work... Trains are only good for paperpushers and
vacationers anyway...

On 9/2/13 8:23 PM, JustWaitAFrekinMinute wrote:


And how would you get to work if you had anything to carry for work, or
deliver anything for work... Trains are only good for paperpushers and
vacationers anyway...



How would that impact you? You are unemployed and unemployable. What
would you be carrying or delivering to "work," since you don't work?

On Monday, September 2, 2013 7:26:07 PM UTC-5, F.O.A.D. wrote:
On 9/2/13 8:23 PM, JustWaitAFrekinMinute wrote:





And how would you get to work if you had anything to carry for work, or

deliver anything for work... Trains are only good for paperpushers and

vacationers anyway...







How would that impact you? You are unemployed and unemployable. What

would you be carrying or delivering to "work," since you don't work?

It's nothing novel that many ask that same question of you, Krause.