Is Amtrak safe

Pretty safe, really. Even in a derailment you're probably not going to get hurt. Amtrak seldom runs on dark territory so it's not like you'll go flying into a cut of cars because somebody forgot to line a switch back.

Train accidents are rare and unusual, you're safer going by Amtrak than by almost any other mode.

amtrak is safe, relatively with contemporary equipment.
it's management and operation is awful however.
makes italian trains look pleasant.

File: amtrak silver star .jpg (2MB, 2592x1944px) Image search: [Google]

2MB, 2592x1944px

>>1019885
>it's management and operation is awful however.

elaborate please

>>1019887
He doesn't know what he's talking about.

Amtrak is run fairly well given its budgetary and regulatory constraints.

Amtrak is safe its just slow as shit

Expect to take at least half an hour just boarding the fucking train

>>1019882
It can be enjoyable, but always expect delays, at least on the west coast. The worst thing about delays imo is having to listen to all the faggot passengers bitch about it though. One time, other passengers tried to get my email for a petition or some bullshit. One fag said he was going to get it on the news. Like anyone gives a fuck that an amtrak train was delayed for few hours. It happens all the fucking time. Prepare for if you have to ride amtrak. Fucking newfags.

>>1019892
I live in california, half the time the train is late. Half the time I have to make a bus connection.
I'm sure it's ran well considering it's budget.
>tfw america doesn't shower their trains in money

It's pretty safe but it's slow as shit because they don't own the tracks they run on because they don't have the funding to build/buy their own. Even on the NEC or in Michigan the trains are slow compared to elsewhere. So yeah expect delays and stuff.

>>1019882
>>nothing but derailed trains or otherwise destroyed trains
This is only because of their general rarity. Even if only 1 accident happened per 10 years everyone would hear about it because it becomes big news. You won't, however, hear the millions of vehicular deaths that occurred in that same time span cause it's boring news.
>>ive been on shorter amtrak trips before where people have an heroed by jumping infront of the train and getting run over so we were delayed
AFAIK it's not as bad as Japan had it so not really something to worry about. Delays in general on their weirder long routes (like Miami going north) are something to worry about.

>>1019892
they lose money selling a can of coke for $6.

which is utterly ridiculous. when a pallet of coke cans leaves the bottler, costing no more than 19 cents to produce.

>>1019883

what is this dark territory? I'm not a train person but enjoy riding them.

>>1020010
just rode amtrak california last weekend... was surprised a can of soda only cost $2 on board

>>1020088
Dark territory = No signals

>using image search to find facts about Amtrak safety
Yes, you're autistic
It is safe, anon

>>1019882
My sister used to ride Amtrak between the midwest and Pacific northwest a lot.
Three things about it-
1. It is rather slow, but she was okay with that
2. A lot of routes cost more than an airplane ticket, even if you just get normal accommodations (and the airplane would be WAY faster)
3. if you are a grill with no guy along, the old conductors and other workers (pretty much 99% black guys) will tend to hit on you a lot when they have nothing else to do

Eventually she gave it up because other life aspects just didn't leave the time to take a train

------

The US doesn't dump money into Amtrak because there's very few routes that get enough traffic to justify it.

This started back in 1978 when the airlines were de-regulated under Jimmy Carter, and it ended with Reagan breaking the ATC union in 1981.

After that, US airlines began to push their prices *down* instead of *up*, and they got to be cheaper than the train over many routes. US passengers started getting on planes instead of trains and haven't ever looked back.

For USA people traveling inside the USA: a bus is cheap but slow, and a airplane is expensive but fast. The train generally isn't even considered by most people.

Biggest problem with Amtrak is all the poorfag customers.

it gets very little funding
most of its routes are operated on tracks it does not own
and then people dont understand what the problem is and complain about its funding

>>1021047
Better than the passengers on the greyhound.

File: IMG_20160628_160155.jpg (2MB, 2560x1440px)

2MB, 2560x1440px

Amtrak is very safe and fun unless there is a person that does not obey rules of the road and stops on the tracks to get hit. I have over 12K miles booking Amtrak and have 0 derailments on the trains I have been on. Plus you can bring your own alcohol, food, drinks, watch your movies 24/7, order food from any delivery that stops at your major city if you time it out.. Basically, its the best freedom you can have traveling with next to zero hassles.

>>1021244
I'm envious that you can afford it. I'd like to ride a train again some day.

>>1019882
>>1019882
It's perfectly safe, and I would recommend anybody to ride it at least once, especially if you have a scenic route nearby.
I find it one of the most comfiest ways to travel, as long as you're not stuck with some crazy people

>>1021427
From my experience the california routes are comfy and clean while the route through maryland and virginia sucks

>>1021427
I feel bad for the people that ride on the City of New Orleans actually.

Amtrak goes too fast through the wetlands near NOLA for people to see all the great wildlife there.

They should electrify all the rail amtrak uses and use electric engines.

pay for the overhead catenary by selling phoneline/fiber optic/cable mounting on the catenary poles.

>>1021483
>They should electrify all the rail amtrak uses
They can't because a. they don't get enough funding and b. they don't own most of the track they run on. But they should totally electrify the parts in Michigan and from New Haven to Springfield that they own.

>>1019882
It's fine, but having ridden trains from multiple countries including Amtrak:
>Cars are well maintained and clean enough but quite old
>Stations were made nicely but are ultimately carryovers from better pre-Amtrak days when they actually had funding, and any expansions feel extremely austere; same could be said for much of the public transit in the States, however
>Many single track lanes. Slow.
>Tracks not necessarily in good condition. Lots of shaking.
>What is eletrification? It's something you don't have outside of NE corridor.
>Even Acela is slow because politicians didn't want to spend money straightening out the rail a la Shinkansen.
>Did I mention it's slow?
>Depending on route, it's actually pleasantly scenic. Bring a camera and a book.

>>1019882
I put them in the same place as greyhound buses.
Old, often dirty with remnants of cheeto dust.
Cheap, and gets you to where you need to go.

At least this my experience going to work in san jose

Loved my 36h ride. gonna take another one if i can schedule right.

>>1021529
disagreed I >>1021539 did amtrak one way greyhound the other.

amtrak was superior by far, besides total trip time. gayhound was just over 24 hours.

>>1021485
the shared track is easy.

we get the cargo rail lines to chip in because of future fuel savings. they switch to using electro diesel engines. that can use catenary when available and diesel all other times.

>>1021504
>electrify
>cargo lines
Diesel is cheap and these lines go in more isolated places in which make everywhere but the Trans Siberian look isolated. The track is in good condition, double decker trains shake (have you never been to Germany?). Also, you would have to demolish hundreds of thousands of homes to make a straight corridor since the NEC was there first, then houses grew around it.

>>1021678
not going to happen because diesel is CHEAP. NJ uses them because the acceleration times make it worth it and it is forbidden to use combustion fuel in NYC stations. (a holdover of t he steam era)

>>1021529
>I put them in the same place as greyhound buses.
I've taken both the train and bus from Philly to NY (and the reverse trip) and Amtrak is way better than the regional buses (greyhound/megabus). One of the huge problems with the bus is getting into and out of the cities. It took an extra hour just to get out of NYC and an extra half hour to get into Philly. Buses are subject to road traffic which will, in my experience, always be insanely worse than train traffic. You do lose some time on the train (usually) getting in and out of NYP cause of the "let's wait till the North River Tunnels collapse before building new ones" situation. My delay getting into NYP was never as bad as the delay we had on the bus though.

>>1020551
>3. if you are a grill with no guy along, the old conductors and other workers (pretty much 99% black guys) will tend to hit on you a lot when they have nothing else to do

So it's not just me when I think the conductors on Amtrak are assholes right? They're some of the rudest, most unhelpful staff I've ever encountered and I've ridden Chinese trains.