@Brendan posted:I've used trains when I could to travel for business. A few observations. Until they have the same infrastructure (car rentals, public transport, etc) that airports have at their destinations, it is a non-starter. Arrival times at cities along the route can be inconvenient. Pulling into a city at 2AM or 1PM is generally not convenient. Being delayed an hour or more, regularly, is not exactly an endearing feature. I used the same formula for any trip - if driving takes 125% or less time compared to any other method, drive.
Brendan
Case in point: #3 Arrives Flagstaff (stop for the Grand Canyon, one of the biggest natural attractions in the United States) at 04:19. I am actually hoping the train runs 2-3 hours late. Having monitored its performance over the last month, it appears that there is a high likelihood that my wish will be fulfilled.
Outside of the northeast and a few short corridors, Amtrak will never serve as any more than a land cruise. If you want to retain riders, you will have to provide services akin to what you find on a cruise ship, and that would by necessity cause fares to skyrocket.
It's pipe-dreaming to think that long distance trains will ever be the choice of business travelers again. They are an anachronism to most members of the general public. I know that is hard to swallow, but it is a fact nonetheless.
