Amtrak's California Zephyr returns to Denver Union Station

[Agschmid]

Amtrak's California Zephyr returns to Denver Union Station on Friday night after a three-year absence and a nearly $500 million renovation of the historic rail hub.

Service will resume with the scheduled 7:10 p.m. departure of the eastbound train to Chicago. The first westbound California Zephyr to use Union Station is scheduled Saturday morning at 8:05 and will head for California.

"This is huge. This is big for all of us," said Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari.

Amtrak was bumped from Union Station in 2011 and moved to a temporary site at 21st and Wewatta streets to make way for a makeover of the 133-year-old Union Station building.

Read more: Amtrak returns to Denver Union Station on Friday - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_25242992/amtrak-returns-union-station-friday#ixzz2umV8q1BD
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[longship]

1. That doesn't look like the Zephyr.

West coast Amtrak trains are double decker. They are an opulent way to travel. Fine food, comfort, friendly people.

Here's the Zephyr.


Your pic looks like an East Coast train which has to be shorter because of the lower underpasses. I've travelled them both. They are both wonderful, but I love a sleeper on the upper deck from the West Coast to Chicago, hopefully arriving in time for pizza.

[Agschmid]

2. It is not the Zephyr I could not get the image in the article to link so I picked (unwisely)...

Good catch!

[longship]

3. R&K anyway, my friend. Trains are wonderful. nt

[Agschmid]

4. They are, at some point I need to take one of the cross country ones.

I have a some time still, thanks for the rec!

[longship]

5. Economy sleeper.

The only way to fly. Yup! It's expensive, but not as expensive as a full bedroom. But it includes a private compartment, three great meals a day and a porter to tend to your every needs. Bathrooms downstairs. I did it with my then wife from LA to New York a few years ago. We took the SW Limited, following the old Route 66. The scenic route is the Zephyr, through the Rockies, but we lived in LA and getting to SF pushed us out of budget.

We flew back to save money. Amtrak has packages like that. A compartment, even the economy one, is First Class, so they treat you very well. I am glad I had the experience. It was worth every penny. The food was absolutely awesome and was included in the price. Wine and liquor extra, of course. (We brought our own bar and had nightly cocktails in our compartment; invited neighbors on occasion for cards.)

It's a good two days from CA to Chicago. Switch trains there and a day and a half to NY.

Watch Hitchcock's North by Northwest and you'll get the idea.

Here's the Economy Sleeper.


A table pulls out between the seats. At night the two seats form a bed. There's another above that folds down. Both are small but very comfortable. There's a narrow closet, too. When one closes the sliding door, there's complete privacy and near silence. Coffee, juice, and Danish in your compartment in the morning, too.

[OnionPatch]

7. This has been my main mode of long-distance travel for a couple of years now.

And I LOVE it! It used to take me nearly a whole day of travel to get back east when I flew, anyway. (I'm in southern California.) Now it takes one additional day but the trip is 100x more relaxing and fun. Great service, good meals three times a day, socializing, sight-seeing.... I play on my computer and watch movies in my room in the evening stretched out in my pjs. It's a bit more expensive but if you're flexible regarding which days you travel and book early, it's not so bad. I also have everyone in my family signed up for the rewards program and points accumulate pretty quickly. I haven't paid full price for a ticket since my first one.

So far I mainly take the Southwest Chief to Chicago but some time soon I'll drive north just to take the California Zephyr instead. I can't wait!! That's supposed to be one of, if not the, most beautiful long-distance Amtrak route.

[happyslug]

8. Double deckers are used on the Washington DC to Chicago run

The problem on the East Coast is the tunnels going into New York City and The City of Baltimore station. The big restriction is the New York City Tunnel, that were to be "Replaced" by the tunnels Governor Christi of New Jersey Cancelled.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Access_to_the_Region%27s_Core

The plan was to build two new tunnels under the Hudson river. These would be longer AND straighter then the present Tunnels, permitting higher speeds under the Hudson river (between the higher speed and straighter rail line, it would have speed up train service). These planned tunnels would have been able to handle double decker trains.

In 2018, when the new tunnels would have been finished, the plan was to close down the existing tunnels, one at a time, and enlarge then so they could also take double decker trains.

The four tunnels would have not only take double decker trains, but also Freight traffic using double container hauling freight cars.

Thus if you can avoid New York City and Baltimore, you can use double deckers on East Coast. If greed and Christi had not interfered with the plans to build new tunnels, double deckers would be usable on the East Coast.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

6. Let me know when they start up the Desert Wind route again.