What is the state of train travel in USA?
I'm planning to go to the USA for some months. I'd like to travel there by train, but I heard that trains aren't really widely used in USA. So my questions are:
- How is the rail network in the USA? Is it possible to reach the big cities and also some smaller sights in a feasible amount of time?
- Is there a train ticket that allows an unlimited use of all trains?
Best Answer
Rail is only really practical in the Northeast part of the USA between big cities like Boston, New York, Chicago and Washington DC. In the Southwest and South Central parts of the country very few people would even consider traveling by train. First, this is a very big country so it takes a very long time to travel by any land based transportation, secondly there aren't many hubs down here so you will often be forced to take a circuitous route if you want to travel between Southern cities.
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Can you still travel by train in the US?
Statistically speaking, rail travel is still one of the safest modes of transport, and providing you take all the usual common-sense precautions, travelling in the USA by train is generally safe, but it pays to be vigilant at major stations, especially at night.Why is train travel not popular in the US?
There are many reasons why Americans don't ride the rails as often as their European cousins. Most obviously, America is bigger than most European countries. Outside the northeast corridor, the central Texas megalopolis, California and the eastern Midwest, density is sometimes too low to support intercity train travel.How many people travel by train in the United States?
However, even though the passenger rail industry in the US (and Canada) continues to lag behind the rest of the world, there are millions of people who use Amtrak to travel across the US every year. According to Amtrak's 2017 data about 4.7 million passengers traveled in 2017 on Amtrak's long distance routes.What do you need to travel by train in the US?
All travelers over age 18 and all unaccompanied minors age 15 and over must have a government issued I.D., such as a passport, driver's license or military I.D. If the traveler does not have a government issued I.D. with a photo, a secondary form of identification, such as a student I.D.The Don'ts of Amtrak Train Travel in the US
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Answer 2
Train travel in the US in general sucks rocks; either it's very inconvenient or it's very expensive.
However, it's almost always worth stopping by the amtrak.com website to check out the intercity pricing and schedules. Some routes are subsidized by state governments, which make them inexpensive, and occasionally more convenient, than air or bus travel.
There's no question: hands-down, train travel in the US is more luxurious than bus travel. Air is usually the cheapest for long distances. And if you're considering car rental, remember that a) you'll pay a lot of money if you're under 25, and b) gas prices are dirt cheap here by most people's standards.
Answer 3
Three more points: some routes do not allow bicycles, and those that do have four spaces. If you happen to be the fifth to arrive, your bike will not go.
And many stations do not allow checked baggage, which includes bikes. So, for example, you can’t take a large suitcase to or from Waterloo, which is the closest stop to Fort Wayne.
Some stations have no building. Since the trains are generally late, it can get mighty uncomfortable waiting three hours outside in the middle of the night (BTDT).
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