Very pleasant trip all around. Good service.

Cardinal was delayed just outside Union Station in DC upon departure. Engine trouble. Engine replaced. Hour and a half delay. But we were just an hour late arriving into Chicago. Unfortunately, our lateness through West Virginia "spoiled" our views of the New River Gorge. That was a little disappointing.

I learned in Chicago that the Southwest Chief does NOT "become" the Capitol Limited anymore.

When I arrived in Chicago, I presumed it still DID. I "panicked ?" when I noticed on the monitor that the Chief was not scheduled to arrive in Chicago (from the west) until 11:30 PM that nite---over 7 hours late !! It gets WORSE !! Then, a message was posted that the Chief would not be arriving until about 6:30 AM the NEXT morning. From what I understand , there was a major freight derailment. Anyhow, I wondered HOW I would be able to take the "Capitol" back to Pittsburgh if SW Chief equipment was used.

I watched the monitor closely. At about 6:00 PM a message was posted that the Capitol would be departing Chicago EAST-bound at its normal 7:45 PM time slot. I then learned that OTHER equipment is used for that train.

So "not to worry" anymore about a late arriving SW Chief if you are heading east on the Capitol. I presume the same is true if you are heading WEST on the Chief and concerned about a late arriving Capitol.

There is STILL a service disruption on the Empire Builder line. Passengers are STILL being bussed between Minneapolis and Chicago. This is a six and a half hour bus ride at MINIMUM---so be prepared if you plan to take that route.

I attempted to find out just how LONG this bussing would continue between the two cities. I was told it could be anywhere from one week to TWO MONTHS. Nobody knew for certain. My best advice would be to wait until at LEAST the end of MAY to plan on that section of track being opened. I know this sound like a long time , but evidently there has been MAJOR track damage.

From what I understood, the section of track between MILWAUKEE and Chicago is OPEN.

Lastly, I continue to be amazed at the number of travelers I encounter on my trips who LOVE the experience yet have absolutely NO idea how much long-distance rail travel is in DANGER !!! Few have even a CLUE as to what is going on with Amtrak's woes. This must stop, don't you agree ??

Somehow, the American public MUST (in general) must be informed about the dire straits Amtrak is really IN. Couldn't the NARP take a more "active" role in this ? I am talking NATIONWIDE ALERTS here , to the general public , that if action is not taken NOW , we may forget about the future of passenger-rail service in the nation---especially long-DISTANCE passenger-rail service. I hate to sound pessimistic. But I am VERY concerned. The general public has absolutely NO idea about how "fragile" Amtrak is at the present time. They just presume there always HAS been an "Amtrak" and there always WILL be. It is a genuine shame.

We must all "put our minds together" and SOMEHOW come up with a plan to "expose" the real truth about the matter before it is too late.

We must ask ourselves , does the general public really CARE about the future of Amtrak ? Well, I think it WOULD if it had information (like WE have.) But the only "source" of this information is individuals like you and I. This must change.

I recently wrote a 600 word commentary which was published in my local (Monterey, CA) newspaper on April 8th. Evidently the editor liked it for she put it on the front of the Sunday editorial section, and put a teaser on page 1 as well.

I also had a letter published in the Christian Science Monitor (March 28) in response to an article they wrote. They titled my letter "Amtrak needs a fair deal." I wrote about how Amtrak's subsidies are paltry compared to other transportation systems. But due to space considerations I couldn't really get into the self sufficiency deadline issue.

I also got into a fairly lengthy dialogue with some people on the Monitor's on-line forum.

NARP and its regional couterparts need to organize and mobilize their members in individual communities to spread the word. They can write commentaries as I did, talk to travel agents, etc.

Simply posting opinions on rail related boards is merely preaching to the converted. Everyone here must get out in your own communities and see what you can do. Even one letter to the editor in each of your local papers will make a difference in improving public awareness.

Is anybody with me?

quote:

---

Originally posted by MLC:
The best way to see the New River Gorge is on the Eastbound Cardinal.

---

I'll second, third and fourth that Motion !