There's a few pretty good histories of rail traffic in the US out there on the net. The short version is that, at some point, trains couldn't keep expenses down enough to compete with trucks and airplanes.
I'm totally with you though, Amtrak really could do more to offer better service. I like trains - I even like riding Amtrak. Going up to New York, for example, it beats the hell out of driving, and really isn't that much different in terms of either price or time than flying. And, you can get up and walk around, get food on demand, use your laptop, etc.
For the wifi thing - its been done in Germany. Google for Flarion or Qualcomm Flarion. Highspeed network on a highspeed train. Way Cool. Of course, that protocol and hardware has largely been eclipsed by Wi-Max here in the states, and, I'm guessing, never sees the light of day, except in Europe.
Another thing would be nice for Amtrak to make a point to interconnect with commuter rail. This is the case in some places, but not all. For example, to go from DC up towards Armonk NY, you have to cab between the major train stations in NYC and then get on a different train.
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Date: 2006-12-19 05:51 pm (UTC)I'm totally with you though, Amtrak really could do more to offer better service. I like trains - I even like riding Amtrak. Going up to New York, for example, it beats the hell out of driving, and really isn't that much different in terms of either price or time than flying. And, you can get up and walk around, get food on demand, use your laptop, etc.
For the wifi thing - its been done in Germany. Google for Flarion or Qualcomm Flarion. Highspeed network on a highspeed train. Way Cool. Of course, that protocol and hardware has largely been eclipsed by Wi-Max here in the states, and, I'm guessing, never sees the light of day, except in Europe.
Another thing would be nice for Amtrak to make a point to interconnect with commuter rail. This is the case in some places, but not all. For example, to go from DC up towards Armonk NY, you have to cab between the major train stations in NYC and then get on a different train.