2 The Next Level

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I recently had the displeasure of having to travel to New York City from Atlanta Georgia by Amtrak train.  I took the train to New York because it was the most inexpensive way to book a trip at the last moment that does not require you to be at your destination the same day. The trip takes about 18 hours one way. I have not taken a train to New York from Atlanta in about 10+ years. Things were bad then but I was certain there would be vast improvements due to fierce competition with plane travel….  NOT!!!!

At first I was very impressed with the way I could book my ticket via Amtrak’s website.  But I could not print out my own boarding pass and had to pick up a paper ticket upon arrival from the ticket both.

Ok, let’s talk train station. Atlanta has the smallest train station for a city of just over 5 million people.  The station is so small the lone Red Cap baggage handler has to make extra money selling tickets to events at the masonic lodge next door. The only parking space is at the Barnes and Noble books store across the street. All kidding aside, the Amtrak train station in Atlanta, GA needs a makeover.

OK, let’s talk security. I got there a little early and decided to check one of my bags. I then noticed that I was one of the few to check my bag because all the other passengers took their bags with them on the train. I then took notice to my amazement that even though we are post September 11th none of our bags were put through any kind of x-ray machine to check for illegal contraband. There was also no one there to check our tickets to make sure we were allowed to go down to the train platform. Many of the family member even followed us down the stairs to the awaiting train. I didn’t show anyone my ticket until I was sitting in my first come first serve seat.

OK, let’s talk comfort and convenience. Nothing has really changed in the 10+ years I last road the train. Mind you I road in coach class so I was really not expecting anything. The biggest change that I noticed was the adjustable foot rest that made a loud cranking noise every time you moved it.  One would think that Amtrak would have taken a lesson from plane travel’s SkyTV and equipped their train cars with Televisions to play movies or maybe even taped TV shows. Heck I was on a chartered bus trip to Washington, DC some years ago and even that bus had TV’s throughout the cabin for our entertainment on such a long trip.

OK, let’s talk about amenities. Amtrak had boasted on their website that they have T-Mobile Wifi Hotspots at most of their train stations (Atlanta not being one of those stations) but of course they never got around to putting it on their trains. Wifi on trains should have been a no-brainer for Amtrak since most trips usually take hours to get to ones destination. Wifi on trains has taken off in Europe and it is growing by leaps and bounds on commuter trains like San Fransisco’s BART here in the USA.

Not only could Wifi be another revenue stream for Amtrak but it would help as a marketing perk and could be used as a key tool to compete with the airlines. Soloprenuers alike would jump at the chance to pay for the ability to get their work done while on such a long business trip. Amtrak would have to act fast on this endeavor because Delta Airlines is looking to to have Wifi on almost all their planes by the end of this summer.

Ok, lets talk food. Thank goodness I had the peace in mind to take along food to eat on my journey up to New York.  Not only are the food items expensive but they are in limited supply and tend to run out before your trip is over.  I was not so lucky on my trip back to Atlanta from New York City for I didn’t pack enough food to last me the whole 17+ hours. I tried the dinning car first but they refused to sell me a cheese burger meal because it was not on the dinner menu. I was then forced to eat from the snack car and made the mistake in trying some microwave hot wings. My body will never and I mean never be the same for I got so sick I had things coming out of both ends if you know what I mean.

Ok, lets talk Amtrak staff members. Finding your seat was fairly easy but keeping it was like passing an act of congress. The Amtrak train conductors had such a hard time keeping track of what person was in what seat. They constantly asked us where we were sitting and made many of us move unnecessarily when they could not figure it out. I was woken up at about 2 am in the morning and asked to move because a husband and wife wanted to sit together.

Heading back to Atlanta there was a 2-3 hour delay in Virginia but there was no announcement as to why they had to stop the train.   Asking the staff was a joke because they were just as clueless and could only guess when we would be on our way again.

Ok, lets talk about the pictures and the people. The trip was really not all bad. I did enjoy the view of the picturesque American landscape rolling by my window. There is nothing like seeing the countryside from a train. The speed of the train allows you just enough of a glimpse to visualize and take in the quaintness of a small town.  I also enjoyed my fellow passengers.  I met some very interesting people both going and coming. Train travelers have a way of kicking back, relaxing and letting their hair down. This was true social networking at its best without a computer or a smart phone.  Think about the train scene in the movie Trading Places just without the gun or the gorilla. One older lady shared with me that she preferred to ride the rail cause she has never been in a hurry to get anywhere that a train could not satisfy her needs.

Amtrak really needs to take lessons from our neighbors across the ocean in the United Kindom, France and Japan.  They definitely know how to take train travel to the next level. Yes, I survived my Amtrak train travel 1.0 but I look forward to the day when trains here in the US can give us a cheaper, faster and greener transportation choice in our 2.0 world.

All the best

JB

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