@Ray Lombardo posted:Amtrak is ok on the NE corridor. The extra fare for Acela gets you a higher chance of on time arrival and a better clientele. Outside of that area, on time performance is shaky and you better not be on a schedule. The airlines move you more quickly so the subhuman treatment at least is brief.
The WaPo article is a pipe dream, but it has been years since it has been a factual newspaper.
Well, fiddlesticks re: the WaPo. Marty Baron, among others, has done a fantastic job with the paper. Whether or not you think the Amtrak plan is a pipe dream has nothing to do with the paper. The Amtrak extension isn't WaPo's idea. They're just reporting the information.
My experience with Amtrak, and those of my friends who've ridden it (all outside the NE Corridor) confirm what you say about schedules. As is well known, having to work around the freight railroads who own the tracks can slow things down at any given time, so time windows when riding Amtrak need to be generous.
These delays airlines are experiencing with computer/IT hiccups seem to be happening with more frequency these days (Southwest Airlines had a big one this past week). Most flights are predictable and relatively on schedule, but various delays/reroutings due to computer problems, weather, overbooking, delays in connections and crew availablilty, and other issues, means getting to your destination on time with the airlines is not always a sure thing.
