Is the JRTC a Mistake in the Making?

[thelakelander]

20 hours?!?  In a coach seat???   Vs a two hour flight that costs less?   Seriously?  20 hours in a coach seat?  Without even getting into the value of my time, please someone help me understand why anybody (other than someone terrified of flying or a Train Fetishist) would ever do that.  TWENTY HOURS IN A SEAT. 

From Jax to NYC is over 900 miles.  You're better off catching a flight at that distance.  Intercity rail travel typically is the better option for trips under 400 miles or to cities that don't have major airports.  For example, there's 120 miles between Los Angeles and San Diego.  Traffic on I-5 is a bitch and in both cities you'll be paying a daily parking fee to park your car if you drive.  However, both have pretty good local mass transit options now.

Friday, August 31, 2012
562 Pacific Surfliner  (LAX  -  SAN)

Depart: 6:15 am, Fri, Aug 31, 2012
Arrive: 8:57 am, Fri, Aug 31, 2012
Duration: 2 hr, 42 min
Amenities
1 Adult
$45.00

1 Unreserved Coach Seat

Subtotal   $45.00

Sunday, September 2, 2012
763 Pacific Surfliner  (SAN  -  LAX)

Depart: 6:05 am, Sun, Sep 2, 2012
Arrive: 8:50 am, Sun, Sep 2, 2012
Duration: 2 hr, 45 min
Amenities
1 Adult
$45.00

1 Unreserved Coach Seat

Subtotal   $45.00

Total $90.00

Leave Fri, Aug 31 Total time: 0hr 52min
Depart
4:20 PM
Los Angeles, CA , United States
Los Angeles Airport, El Segundo (LAX) Terminal 8
Arrive
5:12 PM
San Diego, CA , United States
San Diego Airport (SAN) Terminal R
Flight 6338 Operated by /SKYWEST DBA UNITED EXPRESS

United Airlines 6338
Economy On-time performance: 80% Embraer 120 Brasilia Turboprop
98 mi 0hr 52minSeat map
Return Sun, Sep 2 Total time: 0hr 47min
Depart
4:26 PM
San Diego, CA , United States
San Diego Airport (SAN) Terminal R
Arrive
5:13 PM
Los Angeles, CA , United States
Los Angeles Airport, El Segundo (LAX) Terminal 8
Flight 6335 Operated by /SKYWEST DBA UNITED EXPRESS

United Airlines 6335
Economy On-time performance: 70% Embraer 120 Brasilia Turboprop
98 mi 0hr 47minSeat map

Your current trip cost
Flight
Adult: 1
$267.00
Airfare taxes and fees
$21.60
Total due at booking
$288.60

A roundtrip adult ticket on the train costs $90 and it will take 2hours 42 minutes.  A roundtrip flight will run you $288.60 and take 47 minutes by air.  However, you'll need to be at the airport at least 1.5 hours early and you'll get fleeced with the daily rate of parking your car, if someone doesn't drop you off.  Btw, did I mention that the train drops you off in the heart of both cities?

[Pinky]

I would. However, I can't stand flying AND I have a train FETISH - not Fetishist

My dream 3some: ACL 1504, C&O 614, & me buried underneath em!

Having a Train Fetish makes you a FETISHIST.  Look it up before you "correct" me, ok?

[Lunican]

Am I doing something wrong? I just don't see many people taking the train down if they can fly for half the price and 1/10th the time.

Yes, you are using Amtrak wrong. You can use the airlines incorrectly in a similar way.


Jacksonville to Charleston

Air:
Leave Jacksonville JAX
Tue, Aug 28 5:00 PM

Arrive Charleston CHS
11:30 PM 2 stops
Duration: 6hr 30min

Roundtrip fare: $557.49


Amtrak
Depart: 5:08 pm, Tue, Aug 28, 2012
Arrive: 9:23 pm, Tue, Aug 28, 2012
Duration: 4 hr, 15 min

Roundtrip fare: $109.00

[Ocklawaha]

Ah the beauty of surface transportation, you can pick and choose what you want to see. As for myself, I really don't care if it's 2 hours or 20 hours. Following the advice of Non-RedNeck Westsider, a meal, after dinner drinks, my own bedroom, and I come away with more memories then seeing the other side of a cumulous cloud. Riding the train or the bus is often like seeing America with it's pants down, you see EVERYTHING. It's an education in a passing window view.

[thelakelander]

Lol, Ock, I know you're the exception to the rule.  However, for most people, if you have five to seven days of vacation to play around with, you don't want to spend 40 hours of it in commute.

[wsansewjs]

Ah the beauty of surface transportation, you can pick and choose what you want to see. As for myself, I really don't care if it's 2 hours or 20 hours. Following the advice of Non-RedNeck Westsider, a meal, after dinner drinks, my own bedroom, and I come away with more memories then seeing the other side of a cumulous cloud. Riding the train or the bus is often like seeing America with it's pants down, you see EVERYTHING. It's an education in a passing window view.

Ohhhhh Uncle Ockie! I really appreciate your words and all the funny and playful [sexual] stuff in it. I would love to see America with her pants down as I choo-choo along the tracks.

Never again... never... will I think the same about riding a train.

-Josh