Reply #16: I understand what you're saying

[Fruittree]

- I know most people prefer to fly but I guess I like the feeling of distance that I get with a train. I flew twice in my life and hated it - Just the whole feeling of moving too fast. (That plus I had a woman sitting in front of me on one plane who cried the whole distance saying "We're going to crash..")The main thing I find I don't like about Amtrak is not the time or the delays but just the feeling that the whole thing is run-down. There's nothing quite like having all the bathrooms breakdown when there are still 4 more hours worth of trip to go. Also, the expense of getting a room on Amtrak is prohibitive for most. That's where I think investment would make all the difference. I actually think it would be a positive if our society starts to value something more than fast and cheap.
As for the freight delays - I'm not sure you're right. They become cumulative over a long distance. But I bet you are correct that the really long delays are due to other problems either with the train itself or something happening on the tracks.