Posted: 10.19.2012 at 9:00 AM
CHICAGO (AP) — In a modest milestone for President Barack Obama's high-speed rail vision, test runs will start zooming along a small section of the Amtrak line between Chicago and St. Louis at 110 mph on Friday.
The 30-mph increase from the route's current top speed is a morale booster for advocates of high-speed rail in America who have watched conservatives in Congress put the brakes on spending for fast train projects they view as expensive boondoggles. But some rail experts question whether the route will become profitable, pose serious competition to air and automobile travel, or ever reach speeds comparable to the bullet trains blasting across Europe and Asia at 150 mph and faster.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn are scheduled to be on board when an Amtrak train hits 110 mph for the first time in Illinois. But it will only maintain that speed for a short time, somewhere along the 15 miles between Dwight and Pontiac, before braking back to more normal speeds...
The Carolina was clean, comfortable with plenty of passengers. It was safe, too. I was greeted by a cheerful station master. She checked our ID and our ticket. Most everyone, without exception, had reservations for their seat. The fact of the matter is, if a person doesn't have a ticket the likelihood of getting a seat is very slim. I only saw one passenger in the entire care purchase their ticket on board.
There were electric outlets for laptops and WiFi that worked. Not once was my computer interrupted during the trip. It was nice.
The other passengers were nice. The passenger conductor was precise in checking every passenger's identity, their ticketing and their destination. There was a lot of diversity on the train, but, no wealthy people and that was unfortunate because it was a scenic ride. Enjoyable. There were staff that recognized regular riders and conversed with them. It was the most interesting experience I have ever had on Amtrak. I was really impressed.
The stations are in good to excellent condition, some are newly rebuilt through the Recovery dollars. The facilities were secure, well lit. I felt very safe through the entire trip.
The Carolina did not hit 110 mph because there were stops in cities along the way, but, when there was country miles to cover the train moved along nicely. We arrived exactly on time to every stop along the way.
Oh, and there is a Cafe Car. People like that. There was a lot of movement between the Cafe Car and the rest of the train. There was a brief stop for smokers to step outside before completely their journey.
I will do this again and again. Amtrak has improved 1000 percent under President Obama. A nice ride for a reasonable price. Thank you. Thank you for all those on board today.
The Carolina was clean, comfortable with plenty of passengers. It was safe, too. I was greeted by a cheerful station master. She checked our ID and our ticket. Most everyone, without exception, had reservations for their seat. The fact of the matter is, if a person doesn't have a ticket the likelihood of getting a seat is very slim. I only saw one passenger in the entire care purchase their ticket on board.
There were electric outlets for laptops and WiFi that worked. Not once was my computer interrupted during the trip. It was nice.
The other passengers were nice. The passenger conductor was precise in checking every passenger's identity, their ticketing and their destination. There was a lot of diversity on the train, but, no wealthy people and that was unfortunate because it was a scenic ride. Enjoyable. There were staff that recognized regular riders and conversed with them. It was the most interesting experience I have ever had on Amtrak. I was really impressed.
The stations are in good to excellent condition, some are newly rebuilt through the Recovery dollars. The facilities were secure, well lit. I felt very safe through the entire trip.
The Carolina did not hit 110 mph because there were stops in cities along the way, but, when there was country miles to cover the train moved along nicely. We arrived exactly on time to every stop along the way.
Oh, and there is a Cafe Car. People like that. There was a lot of movement between the Cafe Car and the rest of the train. There was a brief stop for smokers to step outside before completely their journey.
I will do this again and again. Amtrak has improved 1000 percent under President Obama. A nice ride for a reasonable price. Thank you. Thank you for all those on board today.
