The Rail Passengers Association will be meeting for the next there days in Washington and a new spin on an old argument is taking shape for presentation to individual members...

Those of us who are advocates for passenger rail often talk about how many towns are served by the Amtrak long-distance trains. But I’ve belatedly realized that there’s much more...

My late father-in-law was once asked what I did for a living. He replied, “Jim labors in the murky world of advertising.” He sure got that right.   Because everyone...

DAVIS, CALIFORNIA–This was an interesting trip in several different ways.   First, both the Southwest Chief taking me to Chicago and the California Zephyr that brought me here to Davis,...

As I write this, the Southwest Chief is sitting in the Albuquerque station, the locomotives refueled, the windows washed. Earlier today, somewhere near Gallup, I went on line with my...

I typically make my travel plans well in advance. In fact, I’m already thinking about what trains I’d like to take when I travel to NARP’s annual meeting in Washington,...

OK, here’s a question for you about VIA Rail’s iconic train, The Canadian: Is one direction more scenic than the other? This would probably not occur to someone planning a...

At 5:00 a.m., as promised, Kurt, my host at the Boot Hill B&B, was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs ready to drive me to the Dodge...

OK, here’s a weird one.   My wife and I are going to be taking a Mississippi River cruise in May and we’re in the process of clearing up a...

Yesterday an email popped up from a couple planning a cross-country train ride. They want to know which of the western trains out of Chicago I would recommend.   I...