Monday Musings, Amtrak

Traveling 4, 523 miles on Amtrak does not qualify me to be an expert. Yet, my experience gives me some insight into train travel. Did I travel the densely populated and heavily used northeast corridor? No. I traveled the less popular route the Empire Builder. 

The Empire Builder route begins in Chicago and continues to Emeryville, California.  My travel ended in Portland, Oregon.  During my trip, I experienced crowded stations, full dining cars, and full passenger cars.  Traveling during the peak travel season, I sat in crowded waiting rooms, shared meals with strangers and was rocked to sleep by the movement of the train. Yet, this experience was both thrilling and boring.

I saw my share of tired toddlers, weary parents, senior citizens, business travelers, nuns, and a few drunks.  In Chicago, the number of business travelers that use Amtrak surprised me. The station is Chicago is one of the most heavily used stations in the Midwest. Since my train trip in 2010, not much has changed. 

Now with the tragic derailment in Philadelphia, we have read editorials, listened to news programs, and listened to the politicians concerning how to handle the infrastructure problems of our country. I am dismayed at how our elected officials respond to serious infrastructure issues.

While most Americans may not travel thousands of miles on a train, they should pause and reflect on car travel if they cross or go under any aging bridge.  Infrastructure concerns are not limited to trains.