GOP: still fighting against the 21st century. It’s an embarrassment that the US has less #hsr than Morocco or Turkey. Yes, you read that right — we’re behind even Morocco and Turkey in moving people efficiently and the #GOP wants to keep it that way
Crazy morning. Had to take a car to amtrak this morning; there was an accident just before we got to the bridge which added ~45 minutes and I almost missed my 🚂 !
I was wearing my SF City FC scarf and my driver was very excited by it. We started chatting ⚽️, luckily he was from Oakland and knew all the shortcuts, so I got to the station about three minutes after the train and boarded it with a couple of minutes to spare!
One of the (many) highlights of the trip on the “Coast Starlight” down to Los Angeles 🇺🇸: before reaching Santa Barbara we travel right next to the #Pacific Ocean, and under the evening sun. All of this, while enjoying dinner, served by a lovely crew in the #Amtrak@diningcar.
The southbound #Amtrak 🇺🇸 #CoastStarlight leaves inland #California and descends to the Coast over the “Cuesta Grade” incline by means of several hairpin bends, and reaches San Luis Obispo.
#Portland, OR 🇺🇸 is the first “smoke stop” on the southbound #Amtrak Coast Starlight: everyone who wants may get off the train for a moment and stretch their legs. The lovely departure board in the main hall dates back to pre-digital times. And we again meet the Cascades #Talgo.
At #Minot, ND the #Amtrak 🇺🇸 “Empire Builder” makes a refuelling stop: not only the engines get refuelled, but also the coffee addicts are glad to see a sort of coffee truck right next to the station building, where a lovely barista is making some really good Espresso ☕️😊❤️.
Finally got to visit this architecture railroad masterpiece during the day! Construction on the Union Terminal began two months before the Great Depression; not the best timing.
Amtrak now runs one train through here, three times per week.
It's still dark when #Sounder Train 1502 rushes to the platform at Seattle's King Street Station with cab car 304 leading. This Sounder is inbound from Lakewood, Washington with morning commuters. Once this train is emptied, it will quickly return south to Tacoma as Sounder 1503. Meanwhile, #Amtrak Cascades 505 is readied for its run to Eugene, Oregon. #TrainTuesday#Railfan#Railway#Train
From the Empire State Passengers Association on Facebook:
Another good piece of news that neither NYS DOT nor #Amtrak's press office want to tell you about. Gosh, this is so sad that we run our railroads this way.
@crzwdjk I hope #amtrak puts Byford, or someone sane, in a position where he can fix these simple things, like publishing timetables and letting people board when the train is in the station!
My train is leaving 15 minutes late which is fine although a little irritating since it's the initiating station for the train (have to wait for a late connection) but as I was looking it up I noticed the southbound Coast Starlight yesterday was almost 12 hours late!