Why are Amtrak trips so long?

The slower speeds allow passengers to take in the scenery along their journey, as well as providing more time to relax or catch up on work while traveling. Additionally, Amtrak trains often make multiple stops along their route which can add additional minutes or hours onto the total trip duration.



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Trains consume less energy and produce less harmful pollutants than either car or air travel. Hopping on an Amtrak train will save you gas and daily wear and tear on your car. It also reduces the ever-increasing traffic congestion on the roads and in the skies.

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On shorter train journeys, Amtrak's Coach Class seats provide a comfortable place to relax and enjoy the view. On long-distance journeys, you will find extra-spacious Coach Class seating with leg rests designed to enhance your comfort for long or overnight trips.

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Trains without an automatic cab signal, automatic train stop or automatic train control system may not exceed 79 mph. The order was issued in 1947 (effective 31 Dec 1951) by the Interstate Commerce Commission following a severe 1946 crash in Naperville, Illinois involving two Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad ...

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Their speed, however, will be limited by the complexities of the 457-mile route, which is old, curvy and carries a mix of freight, commuter and intercity trains. Most Amtrak trains travel between 110 mph to 145 mph in the corridor, depending on the track and proximity to stations.

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Trans-Siberian is the longest train trip in the world at seven days long. It travels 10,214 km across 16 major rivers, 876 stations, and 87 cities. Some long train trips – like the Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver – begin and end with overnight stays in luxurious hotels.

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Many of the lines don't make any money or are operated at a loss. To accommodate the money-losing routes, Amtrak uses profits from its popular lines, such as the Northeast Corridor. Since this is one of the most popular routes, Amtrak can charge higher prices and send those profits to other, less profitable lines.

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There are many reasons for this. There is limited service between cities (Amtrak says it runs 300 trains with about 87,000 passengers per day), freight is often prioritized over passenger service in the U.S., and trains and facilities are often outdated.

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Longer Trip Times It's typically faster to travel by plane than by train, especially when your destination is across the country. A three-hour flight might be two nights on a train.

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Acela trains are the fastest in the Americas, reaching 150 miles per hour (240 km/h) (qualifying as high-speed rail), but only over 49.9 miles (80.3 km) of the 457-mile (735 km) route. Washington, D.C.

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We've added free onboard WiFi to a lot of our trains and stations! You can check if your favorite train or nearest station has WiFi here. If you're reading this while on one of our trains, wait before setting off to do your surfing.

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Amtrak's Acela high(er)-speed trains Notable: The new Acela fleet will reach speeds up to 160 mph at various stretches of the Washington-to-Boston route. Although not considered true high-speed, the Amtrak program will be faster than its current trains and include track improvements to reduce travel time.

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The sole long-distance intercity passenger railroad in the continental U.S. is Amtrak, and multiple current commuter rail systems provide regional intercity services such as New York-New Haven, and Stockton-San Jose. In Alaska, intercity service is provided by Alaska Railroad instead of Amtrak.

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CLIMATEWIRE | The first U.S.-made high-speed bullet trains will start running as early as 2024 between Boston, New York and Washington, with the promise of cutting transportation emissions by attracting new rail passengers who now drive or fly.

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Chinese researchers have unveiled a new prototype maglev train that they say can reach speeds of nearly 400 miles per hour.

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This slow speed may also occur in railroad yards or near junctions for various related reasons. It's like a default safety factor - kind of like how you must treat any road traffic signal outage like a four-way stop. The crew must keep a lookout for broken rail and not exceed 20 MPH.

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Both overnight train rides I took were constantly bumpy. As a result, I suffered from motion sickness throughout both trips. Every time I stood up to walk through the train cars, I felt like I was on an airplane trying to use the bathroom during turbulence. Sleeping was also more difficult with the constant shaking.

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Seating accommodations On shorter train journeys, Amtrak's Coach Class seats provide a comfortable place to relax and enjoy the view. On long-distance journeys, you will find extra-spacious Coach Class seating with leg rests designed to enhance your comfort for long or overnight trips.

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While not nearly as expensive, taking an Amtrak train across the US is also largely the domain of rail enthusiasts as it takes multiple days and costs significantly more than flying. In countries like Japan, South Korea and much of Europe, the opposite is true as the train is simply a way to travel larger distances.

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