It features country-by-country fare and schedule info, exterior and interior photos of coaches and sleepers, and tons of useful information.
Apparently, it's possible to travel from London to Viet Nam entirely by train. So if the new schedule for the Pennsylvanian doesn't quite work for you anymore. . .
The link is:
http://freespace.virgin.net/markgideon.smith/India.htm
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Trust God, love your neighbor, and never mistake opinion for truth.
-Mr. Toy
Reggie
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For example a daily popular train between the port city of chennai(Madras) to Delhi(2193 kms or 1370.625 miles) takes 33.5hrs and the fare is US$11 for ordinary non ac 3-tier sleeper, US$32 for aircon 3-tier sleeper, US$43 for ac 2 tier and an abnormally high US$135 for first class ac!.The route is a completely electrified double line. Hygiene in normal coaches is unheard of(Americans will be shocked).
regards
hyperrailnut
I think it also shows that Amtrak falls in the "middle zone" when it comes to quality of service. On one hand, you've got some of the Western European trains, which really do put Amtrak to shame.
But in other parts of the world, their concept of "deluxe" makes an all-night ride in a sold-out Amtrak coach seem like a sinful luxury.
In America, I think there's far less difference between "first class" and coach than in many countries. I once traveled on an Egyptian sleeper train between Cairo and Aswan, and it was great -- like riding in a very well-preserved Heritage sleeper. But I also took a very short trip in their infamous Third Class, just to see what it was like.
As the guy who created the abovementioned web site explains, Egyptian Third Class, "is best left to the imagination." Since then, I've never once complained about Amtrak.
[This message has been edited by Mr. Toy (edited 04-28-2002).]
I very recently went on a night Talgo sleeper service from Barcelona to Paris. It had to be one of the roughest journeys I've made by train (and that includes the Texas Eagle over much of its route!). It seems the French spend all their money on the LGVs (high speed lines), and the secondary routes are rather less well maintained.
As for coach comfort, I'd say Superliners do fare quite well in my opinion. I have yet to go on a train with quite so much legroom and reclining seats for a standard class of service.
Geoff M.
quote:
Originally posted by geoffm:As for coach comfort, I'd say Superliners do fare quite well in my opinion. I have yet to go on a train with quite so much legroom and reclining seats for a standard class of service.
The Superliner coach seating arrangement is pretty much identical to their streamlined single-level predecessors of the '40s and '50s. Legroom, foot and leg rests, etc. were all features of the streamliner era. The only difference in the Superliner seats is the fold down table on the seat back and the color of the upholstry.
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Trust God, love your neighbor, and never mistake opinion for truth.
-Mr. Toy
But don't forget. . . the Coast Starlight and Amtrak's other high-profile Western trains are the cream of the crop. They're in far better shape than many of the Eastern trains, which rely on a much more motley assortment of refurbished, semi-refurbished, and unrefurbished cars from various Amtrak and even pre-Amtrak eras.
Then again, rail travel isn't only about comfortable seats. If a train in Western Europe is scheduled to arrive at 12:07, it'll arrive at 12:07 on the nose, almost without exception.
But that's nothing that a few zillion dollars can't fix for those of us who ride Amtrak. With a little luck, maybe the new guy at Amtrak will get the chance to work a few miracles.
Go to. . .
http://www.travelnotes.org/Travel/byrail.htm