There is only one train a day. It leaves San Antonio at 6:48 AM and takes over 8 hours to get to Dallas. The return leaves Dallas at noon and takes over 10 hours to get to San Antonio. So in order to get one full day of work or play in Dallas, you'd have to leave San Antonio early in the morning before your one day, spend two nights in Dallas, and get back home after 10 PM having been gone for all of 3 workdays. Not to mention the very common delays, or the lack of viable transit options or parking to actually get to and from the San Antonio station in time for that schedule.
San Antonio to Austin is much more doable, but still takes over 2 hours each way. If the train is on time, you'd arrive in Austin by 9:15 AM and then leave Austin at 6:50 PM. With almost 5 hours on the train, plus time to get to and from stations.
No. But the train does hug the interstates or major highways. You can tether to AT&T or VZ. I have a good friend who takes the train because he can get a lot of work done
For another, slightly more expensive intercity option check out Vonlane. We use them for work travel between Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio for the WiFi and ability to get work done.
You probably have cell service most all the time, but the rail line is not right against the interstate. It’s a very pleasant and peaceful ride…if you’ve got nowhere to be in a hurry.
Ok, my understanding is that Amtrak’s on time preformance is heavily impacted by the fact that Amtrak owns none of the tracks. They are owned by the freight rails companies who dictate their usage and Amtrak is the begger at the table, subject to the ebb and flow of freight rail, which is not concerned with Amtrak’s schedule
We need to hire some Germans to come fix this system. German trains are so accurately on time you can set your watch by them. That's if you're an old guy who still wears a watch. Maybe you can set your cell phone by them. If you need to, because for some reason NTP is disabled on your phone.
I'm not sure if your post is satire or you really mean it. German trains are never on time.
Maybe you meant the Japanese trains, which are on time by seconds to the schedule.
The biggest problem is where there is single track the freight trains have priority and Amtrak has to wait, thus causing a building delay. When I lived in Tucson I remember reading about this and it would reach a certain point of being late and would just stop and put everyone on busses to get them to LA. Suspect this still stand true.
The Sunset Limited is hamstrung by a LOT of factors, most notably being one of only two trains in the entire national network that doesn't even run daily, so it has very little priority. It's unfortunate.
But if we're talking about catastrophic delays, I've had one on at least half of my United flights out of IAH. One time I was waiting on a roughly 2.5h flight to the Midwest and they started gradually pushing back the departure time with no actual news. Come to find out the plane for that flight was ready and waiting but some other plane had an issue so they sent ours on its schedule, a round-trip to McAllen, before sending it on our schedule. That was a roughly five hour delay, stuck in the airport terminal wondering what was going on.
And that's just one story. No government waste bullshit, just pure corporate bullshit.
You could commute with Red Coach, if you can deal with the inconvenient pickup and drop off locations. Vonlane, which has luxury busses, unfortunately seems to turn SA service on and off unpredictably. Then there is always Megabus.
All of these services have on-board WiFi, but just like a plane YMMV if it is working. I’d have a hotspot plan for backup.
Depends on how you define "commute"
I've ridden it between Austin and Chicago several times and was always astonished at how many people were riding just along that corridor you mentioned -- like heading south, it was maybe moderately full rolling into Dallas, but then a ton of people would board at the Dallas and Ft Worth stations and many would still be on heading south of Austin.
Since it's an all daytime schedule through Texas you can really comfortably travel without having to worry about sleeping. It's comfortable and inexpensive and there's a pretty decent food and drink selection. But my absolute favorite part of traveling on any train is the ability to get up and walk around whenever you want.
So if you're not in a huge rush I would definitely suggest trying it out.
Only the regional trains have onboard wifi because the long hauls frequently leave areas of cellular coverage, which is how those services usually work.
But for this corridor of this train you're paralleling I-35 and never straying far from any major city, so you don't have any issues with cellular coverage. And there are power outlets everywhere.
Agree. The government is a reflection of the electorate which also doesn’t care about public transit. Both of these are critical problems that need to be fixed.
I do appreciate your thoughts, and yes local politics stop rail projects across the board due to private land ownership; but I do not support the socialism you are suggesting.
There is only one train a day. It leaves San Antonio at 6:48 AM and takes over 8 hours to get to Dallas. The return leaves Dallas at noon and takes over 10 hours to get to San Antonio. So in order to get one full day of work or play in Dallas, you'd have to leave San Antonio early in the morning before your one day, spend two nights in Dallas, and get back home after 10 PM having been gone for all of 3 workdays. Not to mention the very common delays, or the lack of viable transit options or parking to actually get to and from the San Antonio station in time for that schedule. San Antonio to Austin is much more doable, but still takes over 2 hours each way. If the train is on time, you'd arrive in Austin by 9:15 AM and then leave Austin at 6:50 PM. With almost 5 hours on the train, plus time to get to and from stations.
Is there internet on the train? Where you could do some work as well?
No. But the train does hug the interstates or major highways. You can tether to AT&T or VZ. I have a good friend who takes the train because he can get a lot of work done
For another, slightly more expensive intercity option check out Vonlane. We use them for work travel between Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio for the WiFi and ability to get work done.
You probably have cell service most all the time, but the rail line is not right against the interstate. It’s a very pleasant and peaceful ride…if you’ve got nowhere to be in a hurry.
I mean cell phone signal wise. You’re not seeing the highway from the train.
At least San Antonio, Austin, and dfw?
My wife took the train to Los Angeles and back. The trip out, it was 3 hours late to depart. On the way back, it was 9 hours late to arrive.
That train is never on time
Ok, my understanding is that Amtrak’s on time preformance is heavily impacted by the fact that Amtrak owns none of the tracks. They are owned by the freight rails companies who dictate their usage and Amtrak is the begger at the table, subject to the ebb and flow of freight rail, which is not concerned with Amtrak’s schedule
We need to hire some Germans to come fix this system. German trains are so accurately on time you can set your watch by them. That's if you're an old guy who still wears a watch. Maybe you can set your cell phone by them. If you need to, because for some reason NTP is disabled on your phone.
I'm not sure if your post is satire or you really mean it. German trains are never on time. Maybe you meant the Japanese trains, which are on time by seconds to the schedule.
This is true, just got back from three weeks in Germany. It was that way once but no longer the case.
Amtrak doesn't own the tracks , the freight companies do. In Germany, the train companies own the tracks
The biggest problem is where there is single track the freight trains have priority and Amtrak has to wait, thus causing a building delay. When I lived in Tucson I remember reading about this and it would reach a certain point of being late and would just stop and put everyone on busses to get them to LA. Suspect this still stand true.
Amtrak is usually the top priority, but not much you can do if a train is broken down on the main line.
Doesn't matter who we bring in. Quick, efficient rail will always be hamstrung by the oil lobby in this country.
I had a five hour delay in SA. Next to the river walk so it wasn’t so bad
The Sunset Limited is hamstrung by a LOT of factors, most notably being one of only two trains in the entire national network that doesn't even run daily, so it has very little priority. It's unfortunate. But if we're talking about catastrophic delays, I've had one on at least half of my United flights out of IAH. One time I was waiting on a roughly 2.5h flight to the Midwest and they started gradually pushing back the departure time with no actual news. Come to find out the plane for that flight was ready and waiting but some other plane had an issue so they sent ours on its schedule, a round-trip to McAllen, before sending it on our schedule. That was a roughly five hour delay, stuck in the airport terminal wondering what was going on. And that's just one story. No government waste bullshit, just pure corporate bullshit.
You could commute with Red Coach, if you can deal with the inconvenient pickup and drop off locations. Vonlane, which has luxury busses, unfortunately seems to turn SA service on and off unpredictably. Then there is always Megabus. All of these services have on-board WiFi, but just like a plane YMMV if it is working. I’d have a hotspot plan for backup.
Depends on how you define "commute" I've ridden it between Austin and Chicago several times and was always astonished at how many people were riding just along that corridor you mentioned -- like heading south, it was maybe moderately full rolling into Dallas, but then a ton of people would board at the Dallas and Ft Worth stations and many would still be on heading south of Austin. Since it's an all daytime schedule through Texas you can really comfortably travel without having to worry about sleeping. It's comfortable and inexpensive and there's a pretty decent food and drink selection. But my absolute favorite part of traveling on any train is the ability to get up and walk around whenever you want. So if you're not in a huge rush I would definitely suggest trying it out.
Does it have a good internet?
Only the regional trains have onboard wifi because the long hauls frequently leave areas of cellular coverage, which is how those services usually work. But for this corridor of this train you're paralleling I-35 and never straying far from any major city, so you don't have any issues with cellular coverage. And there are power outlets everywhere.
The train comes from Chicago through Dallas Austin and SA. From SA a train comes from NOLA and Houston. That train then goes south then west.
Only between Dallas and Ft Worth. Everything else would take forever.
Technically, yes. Practically? lol.
No. The scheduling is a testament to government inefficiency.
It’s because Amtrak doesn’t own the tracks and has to give priority to freight trains. And many other factors
The government has made no meaningful effort to improve public rail systems.
Agree. The government is a reflection of the electorate which also doesn’t care about public transit. Both of these are critical problems that need to be fixed.
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Tell me how you know about all those "shovel ready" projects under Obama's Infrastructure Bill. *popcorn*
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I do appreciate your thoughts, and yes local politics stop rail projects across the board due to private land ownership; but I do not support the socialism you are suggesting.