I definitely agree that Amtrak trains are an amazing experience! That said, not sure I agree with your ranking - I've done 3 of these 4, and the Empire Builder was by far my favorite of this group. I did it in the winter, which had some nice snowy scenery through Montana. The highlight was watching the night sky in the Dakotas lit up by gas flares from oil extraction - created an almost Aurora-like effect.
Thanks Rohit! I'd love to see that aurora-like effect. When I did the Empire Builder, it was mid-summer so I assume I passed through the Dakotas area in daylight. I also bet the Montana scenery is even more spectacular with snow.
The article is very nice description of Amtrak as a recommended mode for long-distance travel. However, the author is seemingly dismissing the experience and value of those long-distance trains that are based in New York and operate with single-level equipment. Perhaps the reason for this is that the current RFP is dealing specifically with bi-levels that will replace the Superliners, while the Amfleet II coaches are subject to a different RFP that will take place at a later time and the new Viewliners have just entered service a few years ago and the older ones are still younge than the Superliners and may be less urgent to replace. But still, I believe that eastern long-distance routes are not given enough credit by many pro-Amtrak articles and news reports. Ok, the eastern part of the US don’t have Rocky Mountains, but so what? The Cardinal goes through the Appalachians with just as scenic views. And other eastern trains goes travel through more “regular” but no less scenic landscapes. How about writing my specifically about them?
Thanks for the great information! I’m putting the Coastal ride LA to WA on my bucket list. Well done!
I definitely agree that Amtrak trains are an amazing experience! That said, not sure I agree with your ranking - I've done 3 of these 4, and the Empire Builder was by far my favorite of this group. I did it in the winter, which had some nice snowy scenery through Montana. The highlight was watching the night sky in the Dakotas lit up by gas flares from oil extraction - created an almost Aurora-like effect.
Thanks Rohit! I'd love to see that aurora-like effect. When I did the Empire Builder, it was mid-summer so I assume I passed through the Dakotas area in daylight. I also bet the Montana scenery is even more spectacular with snow.
The article is very nice description of Amtrak as a recommended mode for long-distance travel. However, the author is seemingly dismissing the experience and value of those long-distance trains that are based in New York and operate with single-level equipment. Perhaps the reason for this is that the current RFP is dealing specifically with bi-levels that will replace the Superliners, while the Amfleet II coaches are subject to a different RFP that will take place at a later time and the new Viewliners have just entered service a few years ago and the older ones are still younge than the Superliners and may be less urgent to replace. But still, I believe that eastern long-distance routes are not given enough credit by many pro-Amtrak articles and news reports. Ok, the eastern part of the US don’t have Rocky Mountains, but so what? The Cardinal goes through the Appalachians with just as scenic views. And other eastern trains goes travel through more “regular” but no less scenic landscapes. How about writing my specifically about them?