Amtrak

[Slyder]

I have a job interview/test this Saturday for Amtrak Railroad. I have a question, I was looking at their routes and saw one for Cincy how far from the Park is it? Anyone know? This may belong in another one of the forums, if so feel free to move it.

[Spazzrico]

The stop is at Union Terminal. It's a few miles. Too far to walk, but just fine by bike. I believe it is on the bus line.

[redsmetz]

According to Google maps, it's a 2.5 mile walk which is not bad, but even for a city lover like me, I have to acknowledge that it depends the time of day and all that you're making the trek to measure what risk, if any, there might be (of course, that's true of many urban areas, no matter the city). It would be a simple bike ride and there's multiple directions you could go easily. Sadly, and not intending to take this thread off on a tangent, there was talk of adding a spur for the streetcar to Union Terminal (as well as across to the casino on the opposite side of downtown), particularly when the high speed rail was still on the table with Union Terminal being the ultimate terminus in Cincinnati.

Good luck with Amtrak. The service for Cincinnati is pathetic, to say the least. I think it's two trains a week, maybe three and it arrives and departs at an ungodly hour and unfortunately because it shares tracks with freight trains, the delays are too often. But our daughter has regularly taken Amtrak back and forth to DC. But she's now looking at Megabus since there make Pittsburgh a transfer point between the two systems. I'd love to be able to take a train to various places. I remember some German visitors being shocked at a city the size of Cincinnati having such limited train service and then, such a tiny train station (then on River Road, smaller than a convenience store).

You'll love Union Terminal which is a beautiful structure, one we almost lost in the 80's.

[Caveat Emperor]

My sister took an Amtrak train to DC with some friends -- she enjoyed the experience tremendously, but I think she had to be at Union Terminal by 4am to catch it.

I used to ride Amtrak a lot when I lived out East. Great service, but I think it makes more sense between places like DC / NY / Boston than it does elsewhere. Cincinnati - Chicago would be good, but that's about the only train I ever find myself wishing existed as a convenience.

[Red Leader]

Originally Posted by Caveat Emperor

My sister took an Amtrak train to DC with some friends -- she enjoyed the experience tremendously, but I think she had to be at Union Terminal by 4am to catch it.

I used to ride Amtrak a lot when I lived out East. Great service, but I think it makes more sense between places like DC / NY / Boston than it does elsewhere. Cincinnati - Chicago would be good, but that's about the only train I ever find myself wishing existed as a convenience.

I wouldn't mind being able to hop a train and take a trip to:

a) Chicago
b) Memphis
c) Nashville
d) St. Louis

[Sea Ray]

The train to Chicago leaves at about 1am. The schedules in Cincinnati are horrible

[Caveat Emperor]

Originally Posted by Red Leader

I wouldn't mind being able to hop a train and take a trip to:

a) Chicago
b) Memphis
c) Nashville
d) St. Louis

Yup -- rail travel is all about hitting the sweet spot of travel of "annoying to drive, expensive to fly." If I could pay ~$100 round trip to take a train to Chicago that left at reasonable times (early - mid morning), I'd do it every time instead of driving.

[bucksfan2]

Originally Posted by Caveat Emperor

Yup -- rail travel is all about hitting the sweet spot of travel of "annoying to drive, expensive to fly." If I could pay ~$100 round trip to take a train to Chicago that left at reasonable times (early - mid morning), I'd do it every time instead of driving.

To me its about cost, convenience, and time. I would love to be able to hop the train to Chicago. I have friends who live right off the blue line and that would mean I wouldn't have to deal with a car in Chicago. But if the train is too expensive, doesn't at least equal my drive time, or leaves at 1 in the morning I am not going to take it.

[Chip R]

If you are on a schedule, DO NOT take Amtrak.

[pedro]

Amtrak service between Portland and Seattle is very popular. (it's about a 3 hour drive)

[Raisor]

Back in college I took Amtrack from Seattle to Indy. Think it was 2-1/2 days sitting in a chair. Had a pretty good time.

[Red Leader]

Originally Posted by Raisor

Back in college I took Amtrack from Seattle to Indy. Think it was 2-1/2 days sitting in a chair. Had a pretty good time.

...you're a legend, dude.

[Joseph]

It takes almost 10 hours from Cincy to Chicago on Amtrak, thats just crazy when leaving that early.

[Caveat Emperor]

Originally Posted by Joseph

It takes almost 10 hours from Cincy to Chicago on Amtrak, thats just crazy when leaving that early.

One of the main downfalls of the current Amtrak setup: for a lot of the non-Northeast routes, you get stuck riding trains doing the milk-run on tracks that are shared freight-passenger lines. Freight always has priority, so you end up sidetracked waiting for cargo to pass.

If you want to make rail travel work, you need dedicated passenger rail lines and more non-stop trains.

[bucksfan2]

Originally Posted by Caveat Emperor

If you want to make rail travel work, you need dedicated passenger rail lines and more non-stop trains.

You need dedicated high speed rail lines.

I have traveled several times through Europe on their rail system. It is amazingly efficient, not exactly cheap, but a very easy way to traverse through Europe. I don't necessarily mind the commuter rail which makes several local stops. One day my wife and I went from Rome to Napoli in the hopes of going to Pompeii. The local rail was closed so we were forced to spend the day in Napoli. One word of advice, never go to Napoli. Anyway we took a high speed rail down that was a little over an hour. The commuter rail back took about double the time, was a little less expensive, but wasn't all that bad.