Take the Train
by Mauris L. Emeka
(reprinted from Big World, a ‘down to earth cheap travel’ magazine. POB 21, Corapolis, PA 15108-0021. $10 six issues.)
He’s been a train attendant for six years, an author for a few, but Mauris L. Emeka has always loved trains-and has taken on a personal crusade to get people back into riding America’s rails.
All Aboard! Come, let’s go for a train ride! You don’t have to go to Europe to ride the rails. You can do it right here in the states on Amtrak. Some might say, however, that Amtrak has lousy schedules, and poor on-time performance. Admittedly, Amtrak must get its act together and provide consistently good service that people can rely on.
But don’t give up on the train. Before you decide against taking a trip by rail, consider some benefits. Allow me first, however, to digress and tell you a bit about rnyself. I work as a train attendant on board Amtrak trains travelling the western routes. Like my uncle, who was a Pullman Porter, I take pride in my work. I like trains (always have), and have even written a book titled “AMTRAKing” that offers tips for Amtrak travelers. You can check it out at your local library.
Yes, there are some definite benefits to taking the train, despite occasional hassles. Overall, the benefits far outweigh the negatives. There is the train’s relaxing atmosphere, spacious seating, and room to move about. There is usually an easy going and friendly atmosphere among passengers and crewmembers alike. You may meet someone near where you are seated, or perhaps in the sightseer lounge car, or while in the dining car enjoying a meal. (Short haul trains, however, that go less than 250 miles each way usually don’t have dining cars). If you happen to be on a long trip, the train will surely make you appreciate parts of the United States that you don’t usually get to appreciate. Passengers often remark to me, “I didn’t realize this country was so big.”
There is still an occasional bear, elk, deer, or antelope to be seen from trains like The Empire Builder and The Pioneer. And there remains a few areas out west (in Colorado and Montana) that can only be reached by train or by foot. For many people, there is a certain magic about a train, the sometimes rhythmic sound of the wheels, and the rare sense of community one often feels while onboard. It’s not uncommon to see people exchange addresses and warm courtesies upon leaving the train. Recently, a conductor whom I knew decided to retire after many years on the rails: Just before he detrained for his last time in the little town of Shelby, Montana, I heard him exclaim “I’m really gonna miss this.”
Long haul trains offer free movles, and a daily hospitality hour every afternoon in the sight seer lounge car. I like the smell of delicious hotcakes and railroad french toast as I stroll through the diner in the morning. And if you’re fortunate to have sleeper car accommodations, there’s nothing quite like being rocked to sleep while the train keeps pushing right on through the night.
Now if you don’t have sleeper car accommodations then be sure to come prepared. Bring a blanket, and a warm change of clothes, because some coach cars get a bit breezy at night. I’ve seen passengers stretch out in their sleeping bags in the sight seer lounge around 11 P.M. after other passengers have returned to their seats. That’s not a bad idea if you’ve got enough space to bring along a sleeping bag. You may also wish to bring some fresh fruit, since they do not sell it on the train.
Like the airlines, Amtrak offers a wide array of fares. If you have patience and can ask the reservations clerk a few key questions, you can get some good deals on train fares. Always ask about the All Aboard America fare, and about any special promotional fares that might be in ef fect. Find out the inclusive dates of the low season and high season, because you save money by travelling in the low season. For example, in April of this year, Amtrak offered unlimited travel with stopovers for a thirty-day period covering roughly one-half of the United States, all for $188. Children aged two to 15 travel for half the adult fare when travelling with an adult. That alone is a savings over the airlines, where children must pay full fare starting at age two. Incidentally, seniors (age 62 and over) get an additional 15 per cent discount off any fare.
Oh, and you can bring your bicycle and check it as one piece of your luggage for just $5! Amtrak will provide a bike box at no extra charge, but I recommend you bring the bike to the station already boxed in order to expedite matters.
Though I’m in my sixth year working on the train, there are still things I especially enjoy about riding the rails: For one, I’ve always found it most enjoyable to sit in the diner and dine on delicious food while viewing a changing panorama of interesting sights. I also still enjoy the comradeship among the people (crewmembers and passengers alike). And on rare occasions, I get a chance to blow my harmonica downstairs in the vestibule when things are quiet and the trip is long. When the rhythm of the train’s movement goes with my harmonica tunes, that really energizes me.
Trains are considerably more efficient than motor cars and airplanes. According to a study by the World Watch Institute in Washington, DC, for every mile traveled, a passenger train consumes one-third as much energy as a commercial airplane, and one-sixth as much as a single-occupant car. Also, despite Jay Leno’s jokes about Amtrak’s safety record, mile for mile, the risk of dying in an auto accident is 18 times greater than the risk of dying in a train accident. Trains occupy considerably less space and cost less to operate. You can construct and maintain 465 miles of railroad track for what it cost to build and maintain just one mile of 8-lane interstate highway, and that’s not an exaggeration!
On a different note, many readers probably know that Amtrak (the nation’s only national rail passenger ser vice) has been experiencing financial problems of late. Our government subsidizes auto and air travel as a matter of routine. How else could the country have built the multitude of highways, bridges, and airport facilities? Unfortunately, our government is less committed to supporting train travel. Amtrak receives limited government subsidies, but not nearly to the extent of subsidies received by the auto and airline industries. No inter-city passenger train service anywhere in the world operates without substantial government subsidies; yet some congressmen expect Amtrak to foot its own bill completely.
Amtrak’s financial woes are partly caused by recent airfare wars which have cut into train ridership. But there are bright spots on the horizon. Amtrak is fortunate to have a very experienced workforce. A high percentage of on-board workers have ten or more years on the job. Also, the addition of new Superliner cars is a plus. More and more of the long distance trains are equipped with these bi-level cars, which make rail travel most enjoyable.
Trains are an excellent way to relieve the insanity of congested freeways and airports. Trains help clean up the air because they cause far less pollution per mile traveled than cars and airplanes. We pay an enormous price for our fast paced way of living. The air pollution is unacceptable, and our diminished sense of community (courtesy of the automobile) takes a great toll on our society.
You guessed right-I’m an advocate of rail travel, not only for Amtrak, but for train travel in general. So come on aboard ! And if you travel west of Chicago, you may even catch some blues sounds from my harmonica.
(Editor’s Note: I bet Mauris’ efficiency info compares the *whole* train to a plane. I bet that per passenger, train travel consumes one-hundredth the energy of plane or even car travel! I’ve heard somewhere that it’s the cheapest and most efficient motorized way to transport anything–by a long shot. Maybe barges in canals or going downriver are the only thing that might be cheaper. Is the main reason for reduced train travel that people are just too busy? That rich people consider it beneath their dignity? They have no culture anyway–their wealth buys them only speed. What would they do all day anyway on even a max luxury train? But why do simple sleepers have to cost so much? It about kills a person to travel for days seated. Trains could whomp on buses if they cost less. Basically, trains can just add car after car for only slight increases in fuel costs. I wish someone would revive trains. Is it the unions that’re killing it like they did steel? Even freight use is dropping, I think. Is it litigation and bureaucracy? The mafia? Trains need a real visionary like Iococca to bust some butt.)
