When will we say
- Thread starter Gonz
- Start date
Professur
Well-Known Member
Actually, what they really need to do is to improve the system. Get the trains up to 150MPH like the rest of the world. Don't make a train trip take longer than a drive, damnit. Then improve the coaches. Better food, etc. I'd rather take a good train than drive or fly anyday. And I'd rather walk than bus it.
When I fly back home, I fly into London, tube it to King's Cross, and hop a train to Edinburgh. Find a nice comfy seat (bigger and better than the one on the plane) order a beer and sandwich from the restaurant car, and (here's the sweet spot) stretch out. Maybe go for a walk around the train to stretch my legs a bit. Tracks are perfect so there's no chance of my beer being spilt. 20 min layover gives me time to hit a souvineir stand before catching the short haul to Glasgow. Total time is 6 hours, and i've had the chance to rest in comfort from the flight, and make up the lost sleep from the jetlag.
When I fly back home, I fly into London, tube it to King's Cross, and hop a train to Edinburgh. Find a nice comfy seat (bigger and better than the one on the plane) order a beer and sandwich from the restaurant car, and (here's the sweet spot) stretch out. Maybe go for a walk around the train to stretch my legs a bit. Tracks are perfect so there's no chance of my beer being spilt. 20 min layover gives me time to hit a souvineir stand before catching the short haul to Glasgow. Total time is 6 hours, and i've had the chance to rest in comfort from the flight, and make up the lost sleep from the jetlag.
chcr
Too cute for words
Gato_Solo said:They need to start running AMTRAK like an airline, or cancel it altogether. Buses are cheaper, even though the travel time can be longer.
One might hope they could run it better than an airline. I've used the car train a couple of times. An excellent idea, but as prof says, they need to update the infrastructure. Given that it costs nearly as much to take the car train as it does to fly and rent a car though, I don't know if they could make it work or not. It sure as hell doesn't work outside the northeast corridor now.
Gato_Solo
Out-freaking-standing OTC member
chcr said:
Well...to get our rail up to the speeds of Europe and Asia, we'd first have to have a war that destroys our rail system, and then have a 'Marshall Plan' that rebuilds our system using lots of straight track. Then we could have bullet trains, and mag-lev's that go over 140 miles an hour...until then, we're stuck with what we've got, unless we, the taxpayers, decide we want to pay for better...
Inkara1
Well-Known Member
I took Amtrak once, from here to Dallas. It was a 2 1/2 day trip, and I rode coach, meaning no showers available to me. If my dad and I had been on the sleeper car, we could have taken showers, but not on coach. Needless to say, after Grandpapa picked us up from the train station, the first thing we did after we got to the house was hit the showers.
Winky
Well-Known Member
Hey we just passed the final funding
(two point three BILLION dollars)
to build a light rail system
Now this thing won't be much different than
the turn of the century San Francisco trolley cars
that were ripped out long ago.
Hell they boast a mind numbing 16 M.P.H.
average speed for this thing WeeHoo
get yer time dilation suit on for that one.
The projected cost to ride the thing is $12.00
($25.00 round trip) with 90% of that cost being paid by taxpayers. They proposed this thing while stating that the ridership will never approach even .2% of the vehicle miles driven in the Valley.
For 2.3 billion we get 27.7 miles of light rail.
Yeah I'll see it then believe it.
Yep in a city with outrageously low population density, a metro area that is over a hundred miles across we are going to build a trolley system.
I suppose this is the nations fifth largest city trying to catch up tot he rest of you.
(two point three BILLION dollars)
to build a light rail system
Now this thing won't be much different than
the turn of the century San Francisco trolley cars
that were ripped out long ago.
Hell they boast a mind numbing 16 M.P.H.
average speed for this thing WeeHoo
get yer time dilation suit on for that one.
The projected cost to ride the thing is $12.00
($25.00 round trip) with 90% of that cost being paid by taxpayers. They proposed this thing while stating that the ridership will never approach even .2% of the vehicle miles driven in the Valley.
For 2.3 billion we get 27.7 miles of light rail.
Yeah I'll see it then believe it.
Yep in a city with outrageously low population density, a metro area that is over a hundred miles across we are going to build a trolley system.
I suppose this is the nations fifth largest city trying to catch up tot he rest of you.
Raven
Annoying SOB
Thats true about most intercity trains over here Prof but there are some exceptions. There is one company called Arriva that does longhaul trains that are an utter bitch to be onProfessur said:
They have no leg room (not fun being 6'2" sat in one of those seats for an hour), are rarely running on time and break down more than I care to remember. Then again there are the services that you mentioned but they are generally for the REAL longhaul like London to Manchester or Endinburgh.
Short trip trains suck in general. Around where I live we are fairly lucky as they have recently upgraded some of their vehicles. Then again there are a lot that they havent upgraded and we still have some trains from the 70's running between here and Manchester
Inkara1
Well-Known Member
You know, I haven't heard much lately about the monorail some people in Fresno were trying to push. Fresno, like Phoenix, is spread out and designed for cars instead of public transportation. The bus system gets used a fair amount, but that's mostly because a lot of people in Fresno can't afford a car.
It's a shame that Phoenix is designing a light rail system that no one will want to use. Last time I went through there, the cloud of smog over the city was astounding. I'd venture to guess there's more smog per capita in Phoenix than in LA. It's all the worse considering Phoenix is in the middle of a humungous valley with tons of room to grow, while LA and its surrounding cities take up the entire basin, which is surrounded by fairly tall mountains. Phoenix is hotter and has less wind, though, which partially explains it. In any event, with that kind of air, it would benefit all the residents of the entire valley if a public transportation system that people could afford--and would actually want to use--were put in.
It's a shame that Phoenix is designing a light rail system that no one will want to use. Last time I went through there, the cloud of smog over the city was astounding. I'd venture to guess there's more smog per capita in Phoenix than in LA. It's all the worse considering Phoenix is in the middle of a humungous valley with tons of room to grow, while LA and its surrounding cities take up the entire basin, which is surrounded by fairly tall mountains. Phoenix is hotter and has less wind, though, which partially explains it. In any event, with that kind of air, it would benefit all the residents of the entire valley if a public transportation system that people could afford--and would actually want to use--were put in.
Winky
Well-Known Member
Well now Inkster lettuce address your points one by one.
Point one:
"Phoenix, is spread out and designed for cars instead
of public transportation."
Yep!
"Smog per capita in Phoenix than in LA."
Sadly this has been the case for many years
we surpassed LA smog sometime back but
public transportation that no one rides does
nothing to reduce pollution.
See point one.
"Phoenix is in the middle of a humungous valley with tons of room to grow"
yes and every five milliseconds it does grow
outwards in all directions at an ever increasing rate
having lived here for over 40 years I can tell you it is simply astounding!
When I say the Metro area is a hundred miles across that's the metro area
this thing actual spreads MUCH further out than that
at the approximate center (which is where I live) you can point your finger in nearly any direction for over 75 miles and you will still have areas of considerable housing\business development.
Again
See point one.
"Phoenix is hotter and has less wind"
Actually the winter here is the absolute worst for smog as we have what they call an
"inversion layer"
-----------------------
Only the top of the Estrella Mountains can be seen towering over the thick blanket of smog that blankets Phoenix in Winter months. The photo was taken from the Superstitions at 5000 feet elevation. The Estrellas reach 4500 feet.
Of course I would refer you to yup you guess it
"Point One"
"In any event, with that kind of air, it would benefit all the residents of the entire valley if a public transportation system that people could afford--and would actually want to use--were put in."
Did I mention....
Point one:
"Phoenix, is spread out and designed for cars instead of public transportation."
Now the solution is one that will not be implemented til long after I'm burnt to ashes
(kinda fitting having lived in a furnace all my life huh?)
And guess what that would be?
(no Gonz not a tactical nuclear strike)
Electric Cars Yep or if you'd rather
Hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicles.
Oh and authoritarian prohibitions on all other hydrocarbon\ozone\nitrous oxide emissions
Well I guess suckin' in that brown cloud for the next 20 to 40 years isn't really that bad?
Point one:
"Phoenix, is spread out and designed for cars instead
of public transportation."
Yep!
"Smog per capita in Phoenix than in LA."
Sadly this has been the case for many years
we surpassed LA smog sometime back but
public transportation that no one rides does
nothing to reduce pollution.
See point one.
"Phoenix is in the middle of a humungous valley with tons of room to grow"
yes and every five milliseconds it does grow
outwards in all directions at an ever increasing rate
having lived here for over 40 years I can tell you it is simply astounding!
When I say the Metro area is a hundred miles across that's the metro area
this thing actual spreads MUCH further out than that
at the approximate center (which is where I live) you can point your finger in nearly any direction for over 75 miles and you will still have areas of considerable housing\business development.
Again
See point one.
"Phoenix is hotter and has less wind"
Actually the winter here is the absolute worst for smog as we have what they call an
"inversion layer"
-----------------------
Only the top of the Estrella Mountains can be seen towering over the thick blanket of smog that blankets Phoenix in Winter months. The photo was taken from the Superstitions at 5000 feet elevation. The Estrellas reach 4500 feet.
Of course I would refer you to yup you guess it
"Point One"
"In any event, with that kind of air, it would benefit all the residents of the entire valley if a public transportation system that people could afford--and would actually want to use--were put in."
Did I mention....
Point one:
"Phoenix, is spread out and designed for cars instead of public transportation."
Now the solution is one that will not be implemented til long after I'm burnt to ashes
(kinda fitting having lived in a furnace all my life huh?)
And guess what that would be?
(no Gonz not a tactical nuclear strike)
Electric Cars Yep or if you'd rather
Hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicles.
Oh and authoritarian prohibitions on all other hydrocarbon\ozone\nitrous oxide emissions
Well I guess suckin' in that brown cloud for the next 20 to 40 years isn't really that bad?
Professur
Well-Known Member
Raven said:Thats true about most intercity trains over here Prof but there are some exceptions. There is one company called Arriva that does longhaul trains that are an utter bitch to be on
They have no leg room (not fun being 6'2" sat in one of those seats for an hour), are rarely running on time and break down more than I care to remember. Then again there are the services that you mentioned but they are generally for the REAL longhaul like London to Manchester or Endinburgh.
Short trip trains suck in general. Around where I live we are fairly lucky as they have recently upgraded some of their vehicles. Then again there are a lot that they havent upgraded and we still have some trains from the 70's running between here and Manchester
Yeah, I stick to britrail, religiously. I've family in the Darlington area, so I sometimes get off there on the way up. But, dude, at 6'2", you're fucked, no matter what form of transport you take. At least on the train, you can get up every now and then. I know I think back on that everytime someone here makes a short joke. Visualizing them cramped up like a sardine in an 707 seat. Pure joy.