Westbound out of Chicago on the Southwest Chief about a dozen years ago, I awoke on the first morning and peered out the window to find that we were stopped...

That is the question. And it’s the question I’ve gotten here more than any other over the years. Should you tip the attendants in the sleeping cars? And, of  course,...

It’s hard to explain to someone who has never done it, why a long-distance train trip is so rewarding. Half of the secret is simply paying attention–and I mean really...

Crossing the Australian continent from Sydney to Perth on the Indian Pacific meets all of my requirements for maximum enjoyment of a long-distance train ride. It must also include at least...

The federal budget being proposed by the Trump Administration would essentially do away with Amtrak’s long-distance trains by eliminating what is already a very small federal subsidy. If that budget...

Without doubt, the question I get most frequently is what’s my favorite long-distance train ride? And that’s really hard because the scenery varies dramatically from, for example, the desert you...

The discussion about Amtrak dining cars continues unabated. A recent opinion piece in Railway Age magazine implied that poor managing was the fundamental reason Amtrak’s food service loses money. The...

Over the past couple of years, at least two or three dozen of you have either posted comments or emailed me directly expressing disapproval of the direction being taken by...

Let’s start with a simple, indisputable truth: all public transportation is subsidized. That’s true from airlines to bikeways, and everything in between.  Amtrak’s troubles began at the time of its...

The question I’m most often asked is which of the long-distance trains is the most scenic. I really like the Empire Builder and I think I’ve probably ridden the Coast...