This morning I rode the Eagle from San Antone to Austin. The train departed SAS on the tick of 7 am and executed the 15 minute backup move to retrack on the main. East of San Antonio, still within sight of the downtown tower with the restaurant on top, we came to a dead stop for over an hour because UP had an uncrewed freight blocking the main. I mean, REALLY, it wasn't like they weren't expecting a passenger train through there then!! Some asses should be kicked for that! Screwing up that train from the very getgo, inconveniencing hundreds of citizens all along the line. They really should be held accountable for such apparent high-handed negligence. Well, what goes around comes around, boys, and I hope they go to the devil, Mr. Norman's oft-mentioned investment therein notwithstanding. We arrived AUS at 11 am. Four hours/ 80 miles. BUT that beat the Hound the day before = it took them almost FIVE hours for the same feat going the other way. Earlier in the week Southwest got me from San Francisco to Austin, door to door, in under seven hours. Incredible. The cafe in the lower lounge care was open from shortly after departure. The train was reasonable clean but clearly had not been given a thorough job in San Antonio. The difference in demorgraphic is interesting. The Hound is probably 90% Hispanic ridership; Amtrak is much more varied, a much more comprehensive snapshot of local population. Maybe this is because the busses continue on to Mexico through Laredo and Monterrey and the train does not. Many people got on in San Marcos and it looked like maybe 75-100 boarded in Austin. The conductor announced that the train would shortly be full and all seats needed. There were 4 coaches.
Posted by juanee (Member # 4461) on :
Did you happen to notice if the protected sleeping car and coach car are still in San Antonio for the 422 / 421 Texas Eagle? Thanks.
Posted by Hoop (Member # 4607) on :
Really? The cafe food car was open after departing San Antonio?? When I rode in the past there was NO food service in either the cafe nor the diner between San Antonio and Austin, and no food and beverage employees got on until Austin...