Amtrak has an auto train route from ~DC to ~Orlando.
It was (and may still be) Amtraks only profitable long distance line.
Re:Amtrak Explorer
by PaulDavisThe1st on Thursday September 28, 2023 @06:41PM
(#37696893)
> ... you are probably in a city dependent on cars because of such poor walkability and public transport [ .... ] If I could take my car on this train it might be worth it ...
Take your bike!
Re:Amtrak Explorer
by justrealist on Thursday September 28, 2023 @11:54PM
(#37699104)
Yeah so I'm not going to take my 2 year old and 1 year old and all associated baggage to the hotel on my bike.
Re:Amtrak Explorer
by PaulDavisThe1st on Friday September 29, 2023 @12:29AM
(#37699272)
Would you try to do that on public transit, if it was better?
Re:Amtrak Explorer
by ThePowerOfFuet on Friday September 29, 2023 @02:51AM
(#37700151)
Europe here, and yes, that's what people do.
Re:Amtrak Explorer
by rcMgD2BwE72F on Friday September 29, 2023 @04:26AM
(#37700825)
France here. I do take my bike everywhere (RER, TER, TGV… I've never had a car and rented <10x in my life, at 37 y-o). But it's getting difficult to find/book a place in most fast trains, especially between Paris and Loire Valley as there are too few racks available and biking is becoming more popular. I wish all major train stations had 24/7 bike renting service, including for bikepacking.
Re:Amtrak Explorer
by PaulDavisThe1st on Friday September 29, 2023 @10:09AM
(#37704516)
I am actually aware of that. I was trying to discern whether or not the person I was replying to is actually criticizing public transit infrastructure in US cities or has just accepted that you need a car (easy to understand why that might be, even if it is not necessarily true).
My kids could travel on public transit easily when it’s a good day.
There have been numerous times when I’ve been very glad that I had a vehicle to load them all into to contain the current detonations occuring.
Re:Amtrak Explorer
by justrealist on Friday September 29, 2023 @10:27AM
(#37704789)
I have no objection to using a train, if it's actually point-to-point.
(but like, actually point to point. not, get to downtown and walk another 1.5 miles or wait 45 minutes for a bus transfer).
Re:Amtrak Explorer
by Doctor_Fegg on Friday September 29, 2023 @12:46AM
(#37699371)
Give it a couple of years and you can put them on a Tern GSD or similar.
(Don’t know if Amtrak would carry that. You can just about get away with taking them on UK trains.)
Re:Amtrak Explorer
by Rebelgecko on Friday September 29, 2023 @03:26AM
(#37700377)
For routes where the bike area is first come first serve, how common is it for them to run out of space?
Looking at travel from Austin to SF, taking a train is a longer duration trip and costs more.
One way on Oct 20th, Kayak has a flight for $119 and Wanderu has a train trip for $662 that is 3 days and 8 hours in duration.
If I could take my car on this train it might be worth it, from a cost and logistics standpoint train pretty much always loses.
I say this as someone who grew up enjoying the metro in dc and ny and use rail and ferry's when overseas.
Until infrastructure, subsidies and other externalities are addressed train travel will not be competitive, I have far more hope for level 3 self driving cars than I do for walkable cities and train travel parity.