posted
A couple of years ago, one could visit the Amtrak site and order, by mail, a little booklet called the "Amtrak System Timetable". The booklet contained schedules for all Amtrak trains, station locations, and other information regarding Amtrak train travel. I'm quite sure most all the information is available from the Amtrak web site. However, the booklet was quite useful and handy, especially for sticking in a desk drawer or briefcase for easy reference. The booklet had a nice, colorful fold-out map of the US, depicting all train routes.
I can't seem, going to the Amtrak web site, where the booklet is offered, by mail. Possibly it is no longer available?
Check the "Amtrak System Timetable" box. You can also pick it up at any staffed Amtrak station.
gregbkc Member # 3726
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I picked up a Spring - Fall 2006 copy at Kansas City Union Station a couple weeks ago to help plan a trip. I prefer hardcopy much more than online material.
I also received an Amtrak Vacation guide a few days ago via snail mail which was very nice and had lots of helpful information (including car layouts).
I'm traveling from KCY to FUL in a roomette Wednesday night free of charge thanks to AGW. Can hardly wait to go!
jenyum Member # 4533
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I picked one up at the train station in EMY. It is not even remotely accurate for the Coast Starlight but might be useful for other routes. The information on the website is more up to date, but I think you can still get the paper schedules at some stations. (they didn't have any in Tacoma or in Klamath Falls, where we had an unscheduled three hour delay)
yukon11 Member # 2997
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Thanks very much. I took the link from Paul's post and ordered the timetable. Thanks Paul and Greg; one of these days I will have to figure out how to navigate the Amtrak web site! I finally figured out you click the "Traveling with Amtrak", at the top, then go to "Before You Ride" to get to the "Ordering and Contacting Our Publications" section.
There was another publication, listed, you can order called "Amtrak America 2005/2006". Is that also a good one to pick up?
Richard
1702 Member # 4508
posted
quote:Originally posted by yukon11: Thanks very much. I took the link from Paul's post and ordered the timetable. Thanks Paul and Greg; one of these days I will have to figure out how to navigate the Amtrak web site! I finally figured out you click the "Traveling with Amtrak", at the top, then go to "Before You Ride" to get to the "Ordering and Contacting Our Publications" section
Richard
If you use the "Search" feature, typing in "order timetable" or "timetable" gives you various topics, among them ordering publications.
Our friends to the North, VIA Rail, don't seem to have any way of ordering a TT on their site.
yukon11 Member # 2997
posted
I think trying to navigate the Amtrak site is a cakewalk, compared with trying to find things on the VIA Rail website.
Last winter, I was thinking of a summer trip from Vancouver, BC, to Jasper, Alb. My plan was to head to Jasper on the Rocky Mountaineer, then back on the VIA train. I needed schedules and timetables, but nothing but problems when trying to navigate the VIA web site. What a conundrum!
After clicking "English"..I got their home page. I could not find anything regarding "timetables" listed in the left column. Finally..I clicked "Plan Your Journey". Then "Schedules", bringing you to a new screen. To get timetables, you click "Schedules in PDF Format". Finally, I was able to check out the schedules/timetables for various trains. If you click "Schedules" instead of "Schedule in PDF Format", you get the boxes to enter information on your train, dates, etc, but what I was looking for was a real timetable. Then, I discovered a shortcut. On the left column, opening page, is a field called "Documents and Photos". I wouldn't normally figure this is where to find timetables, but if you click it you can then go straight to "Schedules in PDF Format".
I picked the "Toronto to Winipeg to Jasper to Vancouver" train. Finally, the timetables. Below each column, is "Days" (something I didn't see, at first). As the Canadian runs, each way, 3x a week, it tells you what days it leaves the initial city in the column. For example, in the timetable column for Winnipeg heading west, it says "Days 3,5, & 7"). I normally think of Sunday as the 1st day of the week, but VIA thinks it is Monday. So, the Canadian leaves Winnipeg on Wed, Fri, & Sun. It then gets into Jasper, heading to Vancouver, on days 4, 6, & 1 (Thurs, Sat, & Monday). Now all I had to do with coordinate this with the Rocky Mountaineer, which also leaves just 3 days a week in each direction, from Jasper to Vancouver.
If they can put out a system timetable, for the VIA, in booklet form as "1702" (above) suggests, that would be great. I spent some time trying to see if you could order a timetable/schedule hard copy booklet, from VIA, but I could not find information suggesting such is available. If you have more luck, please post. I'm sure it would be a fun thing to have available.
posted
I did get hard copies of all the VIA Rail (a system timetable booklet and brocures about every one of their routes) Literature (for my collection not because I'm Planning) about a year ago simply by sending them an e-mail through the contact-us link on their website with my adress. This was also after I asked at the Amtrak Information booth in Penn Station thinking they would carry it (but they don't), since two trains from NYP do go to Canada and one is jointly operated with VIA.
stlboomer Member # 2028
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The USPS mail sorting system is not friendly to Amtrak system timetables. I ordered one last spring, but what I recieved was an envelope from the USPS with apologies for shredding my mail. Inside was nothing but a chewed-up timetable cover. This fall I'll go down to the station for a copy.
Pojon Member # 3080
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What's the big deal!!?? Just call up Amtrak (1 800-usa-rail) and ask an operator to send to you the system timetable. You will receive it in about 10 days. Do the same for VIA Rail Canada. You will receive it from them in 2 weeks. I did both!
David Member # 3
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Although I am a keen booster of VIA Rail services, I concede their Website should be easier to navigate. There is a wealth of information there, but sometimes it seems hidden. For example, all menus for dining cars and VIA 1 (first class at-your-seat meal service)are on the Website, but not very easy to find.
As for numbering the days of the week, most of the transportation world considers Monday the first day of the week. I realise calendars in Canada and the USA show Sunday as the first day of the week, but that makes no sense. Saturday and Sunday are known to all as the "week-end" so the fact that they are considered days 6 & 7 is quite logical. Most European calendars will show Monday as the first day of the week, although one of the British railway calendars I am looking at right now regrettably shows Sunday as the first day of the week.
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