Quote:
Originally Posted by Air&Road
I have been a proponent of a properly operated high speed rail system for YEARS. When I was a young man in Germany many years ago I was amazed at how well one could get around on their train system.
Amtrak has done a very effective job of souring the average American on the idea unfortunately.
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Amtrak is pretty amazing I think: every time I used it it left on time; plenty of room; comfy seats, even if you don't go 1st class; always a decent stocked restaurant/bar. If you go first class, doesn't cost that much more, you get a free newspaper and coffee. And the best of all you can leave your seat for a walk with out someone taking it.
In comparison with Germany or Holland where the government spent's billions and billions of Euro's on public transport; trains hardly ever leave on time or don't even run at all; they are packed to the max; seats are uncomfortable; tickets are expensive for the amount of miles traveled; no restaurants on regular trains; some trains don't even have toilets; you can only buy a ticket if you have a national ATM or credit card...without it you're pretty much f*c#@*d.
The only good thing is it gets you every where...sort of.