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On June 28th I attended a business conference in downtown Memphis. Being in the same town as a train station I can never resist going for a short trip on the rails. So, I planned in advance to make a round trip to Chicago leaving on the 30th.
I have made the round trip from Memphis to Chicago several times, but this time I wanted to venture over to St. Louis and take a different northbound route. First of all, I wanted to see the new St. Louis Gateway station and, secondly, I have never before ridden the Lincoln Service between St. Louis and Chicago.
The late night northbound departure from Memphis (10:40 p.m. to be exact) allowed me to finish an entire day of meetings and workshops, catch a quick swim in the hotel pool, have dinner, pack my bags, and get to the train station without feeling rushed.
I arrived at Memphis Central Station at 9:30 p.m. and was grateful that the parking lot beside the track is back in business. It was closed through the better part of last year when a century-old culvert collapsed and caused a huge sinkhole. Amtrak service was rerouted away from downtown Memphis for 7 months while the city government and the railroad worked things out. Fortunately, that ordeal is behind us and I got to park my car right beside the canopy next to the track.
To my disappointment, the northbound City of New Orleans was running 53 minutes late and that was a real bummer for me. If the train could run on time tonight, I could catch an earlier train out of St. Louis and spend more time in Chicago. If the train was late, I would miss the earlier connection and have to take a later train meaning less time in the Windy City. To add insult to injury, I had been checking with Amtrak and the City of New Orleans was running perfectly on schedule for the last several days. The one day I was riding and needed to be on time the train was late!
The train arrived at 10:55 p.m., 55 minutes late. The schedule allots 40-minutes of dwell time in the station and I was curious to see if Amtrak personnel would try to reduce that and leave the station closer to schedule. In my previous experiences that rarely happened. I recall years ago riding the California Zephyr through Colorado about 2 hours behind schedule. The train was allotted 90 minutes of dwell time in Denver and the train waited in the station all 90 minutes. We left Denver as far behind schedule as when we arrived. On this night, Amtrak made me proud. The dwell time was cut in half and we left Memphis 35 minutes late instead of 55.
I didn’t expect the train to be full of passengers on a Tuesday night, but it was. I recall in previous years I could board the train in Memphis and have plenty of empty seats to choose from. Tonight, there were only a few.
To get to St. Louis from Memphis is not the easiest plan in the world. You have to tumble out of your seat at about 3:15 a.m. and transfer to a shuttle van at Carbondale, IL. Fortunately, our train arrived in Carbondale only about 15 minutes late. Evidently we made up some additional time along the way. Our shuttle van left Carbondale on time to the minute with about 9 passengers on board. The ride into St. Louis is breathtaking as the famous arch comes into view from miles away.
We arrived 5-minutes early at the new St. Louis Gateway Station. Some may wonder why I wanted to make a special trip to see this station. Well, 9 years ago I made a train connection in St. Louis and got to experience the famous “Amshack” that looked more like a tool shed than a train station. It was supposed to be a “temporary” station for St. Louis but ended up being in use for 28 years – far beyond its intended lifespan! In 2006 I made a connection at St. Louis in a much-improved temporary station that Amtrak built. I wanted to see with my own eyes that St. Louis finally had a real train station instead of something “temporary”.
Gateway Station really and truly lives up to its name. It’s a gateway for various modes of transportation. Amtrak, Greyhound, and the local transit system use this station. Passengers can connect between the different modes of transportation, which is a huge plus for the city. The station is clean, pleasant, and attractive. The layout means that bus passengers can see the bus bay and rail passengers can see the tracks. The ticket offices, the food services, and the full-time security desk are also in plain view, and this gives passengers a much greater sense of ease. I like the retro styling and the abundance of natural sun light inside the building.
Because we made up for lost time, I was able to take the earlier northbound train. We left right on time. Although it wasn’t a full train when we pulled out of St. Louis, the conductor informed us that we would be picking up large numbers of passengers at each of our northbound stops. By the time we left Springfield the train was nearly full.
I had a light breakfast in the snack car, which has booth table seating on one half. It was nice to see other passengers congregating there to play cards, play board games, and eat, of course. While sitting in my coach seat I overheard a young fellow in the seat behind me talking on his cell phone. He told the person on the other end, “The train is really nice, so I won’t be taking the bus anymore.”
We made really good time on this trip. We had three brief delays and each time the conductor got on the speaker and gave a brief explanation. For years Amtrak was bad about keeping its passengers in the dark about delays and interruptions. I understand that the company’s new policy is to be up front and clear about each and every delay en route, and I think that is a very good practice.
I could see from the train window that each grade crossing through the central Illinois has quad gates. I assume these were installed to prepare for higher track speeds in the near future.
Arriving at Chicago Union Station is always an indescribable experience for me. There’s something about this big, huge, ornate and extremely busy station that makes my heart pound. As trains carry more and more people, Chicago Union Station gets busier and busier. They have made some positive changes at CUS in recent years. The first class Metropolitan Lounge is larger and the new Quik-Trak ticket machines mean shorter lines at the Amtrak ticket windows. However, there’s still room for improvement. There’s a shortage of restrooms, they still don’t make train announcements in the Great Hall, and they could use another set of storage lockers.
I always enjoy a day on the town in Chicago, so I stored by bags in a storage locker and took the famous stairway used in the movie “Untouchable”. As soon as I got to the street I saw that the Jackson Street Bridge is completely out of service and undergoing a massive rebuild. So I ventured another block over and went into town. My first stop was to have Chicago-style pizza at Giordano’s only a few blocks from Union Station. I did some shopping and general sightseeing, but did not take in any museums on this trip. I enjoy museums so much more when I’m traveling with my family, especially with my niece and nephew. So, I just killed time doing some other things.
I’m always impressed with how clean and friendly Chicago is. I enjoy people watching and it warms my heart to see folks congregate on the streets and visit with one another in passing. It makes the city feel more like a small town.
While visiting a book store I found the perfect book to read while waiting for the train. It was a biography about a troublesome situation we had in Tennessee a couple years ago. The story always intrigued me and I was so glad somebody wrote about it.
I did not bother having dinner in Chicago because I was getting a complimentary dinner on the train with my sleeper space. So, I returned to Union Station and took my place on one of the massive wooden benches in the Great Hall. While reading my book I really enjoyed seeing all the people gathering to wait for their train. Most noticeable was a group of young folks with backpacks heading to Colorado for some camping. Imagine the hassle these kids would have trying to take an airline!
About an hour ahead of train time, I checked in at Metropolitan Lounge. Although I like the Lounge I would rather be in the Great Hall where all the action is. About 45 minutes ahead of departure time they called for all City of New Orleans sleeper car passengers. I boarded and took my place in room 4.
The attendant stopped by and asked me if I was ready for dinner. I was a little surprised, but then I remembered that Amtrak now opens the dining car early for sleeper passengers. My attendant took me to the Cross Country Café, which is a combined Diner and Lounge Car. Serving dinner early to sleeper passengers means that coach passengers get to eat at a more reasonable time. In years past, Amtrak did not open the dining car until and unless all tickets were collected and counted. I like the new practice much, much better.
I chose the braised flat iron steak with baked potato and stewed vegetables. It made for a nice, pleasant dinner. The seating arrangement in the Cross Country Café is unusual because some people sit with their backs to the window. I like the traditional dining car arrangement better; however, this is perfectly acceptable for a train that doesn’t do a vast amount of food service.
Sleeper car passengers have access to a shower. For me, this was a real plus because I had been 24 hours without one! Taking a shower on a moving train is tricky, but well worth it for me. I returned to my room and changed into something more comfortable. I expected the attendant to offer to make up my room for me, but I did not see him, so I did it myself. I would have enjoyed watching the nighttime scenery slip by, but I was tired and fell asleep around 10 p.m.
I slept soundly, maybe waking up once in the night to look out the window. I didn’t wake up until early the next morning when I heard the attendant tell someone down the hall “Memphis in 30 minutes.” He then came to my door and
said the same thing.
I got up, got dressed, and grabbed a cup of coffee from the station down hall. Arriving in Memphis is so easy because you literally walk from the train to your parked car in just a few steps.
Looking back on the trip, I must say that Amtrak has much better on-time performance than what I’ve seen in years past. This definitely gives the train much greater appeal. I also give high compliments to the city of St. Louis for finally building a better station.
As always, I look forward to my next trip.
Perhaps the biggest surprise or disappointment for me, when I came to Nashville in the late 1960's, was the lack of mass transit.
True there was a versions of the city bus service, and Floridian did stop at Union Station. Sadly, that soon disappeared in the mid 70's.
Having used the London Underground and buses, plus the convenience of mainline trains to any part of the UK, for all of my " growing up " years, the lack of transportation in Nashville, was hard to accept.
40 years has passed, and now we have a good MTA service ( needs expanding plus BRT service ) plus a new bus terminal. Finally one of the many legs of the Music City Star in operation.Sad to say, there is no Amtrak. What a benefit that Amtrak would bring to this area.
With Amtrak in mind, we decided to do an adventurous trip on Amtrak last fall ( 2008 ), and will do another this year, I'm currently looking into the Empire Builder. Unbelievably, the nearest stations to Nashville, are Atlanta or Memphis, ridiculous in this day and age to say the least.
Reluctantly we had to fly to Chicago, to catch a train ! We arrived at Chicago's Amtrak station, and boarded the Southwest Chief for Los Angeles. I highly recommend this trip.
True it took 47 hours, and the coaches were not up to date ( 90's rolling stock ) in fact they were probably of the same vintage era as the Music City Star's are. But they were comfortable, very stable and the welded rails made it almost silent at times.There were so many surprise on that trip, compared to taking a train from say London Kings Cross to Edinburgh, that I believe I could write a book on this Southwest Chief trip.
The staff were great, and were in good humor but firm control of the journey. The food was good in the dining car, and you will meet some very interesting folks there, as you share a table with them over dinner. We had the regular coach seats, as the rooms were all booked months ahead, plus the rates they were charging were very high.
The seats in coach are large and comfortable, like first class on a plane, and we found no trouble in sleeping for the two nights in our seats. Not as convenient as a room, but certainly a lot cheaper.
The fare as a senior for me, was under $150 one way. An amazing bargain for what you experience on this journey. Sadly we had to stop many times because of the assign rules that freight goes first. We could have saved several hours of the journey.
We arrived in L.A, refreshed and amazed at what we saw and experienced. We then flew over to Las Vegas for 4 days, then back to Los Angles, and then took the train all the way to New Orleans... Another amazing trip. I never realized how massive Texas was.
One of the amazing sights were the hundreds of power windmills on the way. They must have numbered in the 1000's. Apart from the " enforced " flying from Nashville to Chicago, and the return flight from New Orleans to Nashville, the trip was the most amazing journey I have ever made.
I often think, how much more relaxing it would have been, to be able to take the Music City Star from Gallatin to the Union Station or the Clement Landport, board Amtrak there, and start our journey.Why that isn't even under consideration with this stimulus package beats me.
The number of passengers using a service through Nashville, would do wonders for this states and Nashville's economy. There is a chance albeit a small opportunity, that if Nashville,Bowling Green and Louisville, were to combine their efforts, and approach Amtrak for service, this could be a reality one day. The Mayors of Bowling Green and Louisville have already announced they are all for it. Bowling Green is just an hour away.
As a side note. The combined journey we made ( Chicago to Los Angeles, then Los Angles to New Orleans ) was about 4200 miles. 4200 miles of the most amazing sights I have ever seen in my 69 years, What an experience of passenger rail in the USA....
Give me Passenger Rail, albeit Amtrak or a private company, who cares, as long as I never have to drive or fly again ! Dave Miller
Not too long ago, if you had advocated using, or expanding, the passenger rail network in the United States, your comments would probably have been greeted with a rolling of eyes or an incredulous stare. Or possibly, you might have noticed people edging farther away in case you decided to do something really crazy. However, rising fuel prices, a falling economy, airline absurdities, and airport inconveniences have certainly put an end to that.
As a child, I sadly witnessed the end of locally available passenger service. But despite being a frequent air traveler as an adult, I, like many others, have held onto that fascination with travel by rail. And if you have ever traveled and experienced the efficiency of the rail network in Europe, you wonder why anyone would want to do anything else for short trips.
Although frequent rail service exists in the northeast corridor (Washington-New York-Boston) and as commuter service around the larger cities, most of the United States is without convenient access. Not to be deterred, I recently decided to experience the current rail situation in the United States—I took the train to New York City for a long-awaited infusion of music and theatre.
You’re probably saying, “Wait a dang minute…there is no rail service from here!” And you would be correct. The closest route to Knoxville is Amtrak’s Crescent, which operates daily from New Orleans to New York City. The route north goes through Atlanta and points in South Carolina and North Carolina, before navigating through Virginia into the northeast corridor in Washington, D.C. I chose to drive to Charlotte, the closest station that offered the lowest combination of driving mileage/rail fare, parking, and baggage check.
Although the journey was every bit an experiment, it was an enjoyable adventure which I recommend to anyone who is willing to try something different. Although you can probably guess the current rail travel vs. air travel disadvantages, there are substantial and pleasant advantages. Here are the Pros and Cons.
Pros
1) Cost. A substantial savings over airfares, particularly when you factor in peripheral factors, such as the cost of getting to and from airports, not to mention airport parking fees. Parking at the Charlotte station was free.
2) Choice. On the long distance trains that run overnight, one has a choice of coach seating or a sleeping compartment. The sleepers offer a bit of privacy and your own toilet.
3) Coach seating legroom. I found I could stretch my legs straight out, yet barely touch the seat in front of me. Oh, frabjous day! Sadly, masochists will have to search out pain elsewhere...no rude flight attendants ramming your elbows with a metal cart...no squashed knees when the seat in front suddenly tilts back.
4) Food. The long distance trains offer both a lounge car for drinks and snacks and a dining car with waiter service and excellent food. Dining car meals are included in the price of a sleeper.
5) Convenience and Speed. Despite the fact that only the Washington-New York segment of the Crescent route is on track improved for higher-speeds (elimination of curves and grade crossings), the train is definitely not pokey. Charlotte to New York is 600 track miles; total travel time with station stops (including 30 minutes in DC to change from a diesel engine to electric), was a little over 11 hours—an average of 55 mph. Unlike airports, train stations are generally located near midtown—so those $30-$50 airport taxi rides are unnecessary. In the Northeast corridor, door-to-door travel time compares very favorably with air travel, due to airport distances and typical flight delays. The trains I boarded left exactly on time.
6) Baggage. Free! Each passenger can check up to three bags, each being 50 lbs. or less. Plus carry-on.
7) Security. Although there are security personnel present in the stations and on the trains, passengers are not subjected to the tedious and time-consuming inconvenience of carry-on screening and personal searches. Your shoes remain where they belong--on your feet.
8) Scenery. You actually get to see some.
9) Human beings. You actually get to meet some…and talk to interesting people if you want, or be left alone. Quite surprisingly, I met a train conductor who was writing a book on Basque etymology. You won't get any vacuous “buh byes” from train personnel.
Cons
1) Time. Except for short intercity distances, particularly in the Northeast corridor, it’s going to take you longer. High-speed rail, such as the TGV in France or Japan's Shinkansen, would go a long way toward addressing this issue, but that's another discussion.
2) Just like airlines, you need to make advance reservations, particularly for the long-distance trains, and to get the lowest fare. Over the holidays, the Crescent was fully booked.
3) Availability of routes. For now, you’ll have to travel a bit to get to a station.
4) Current schedules. The Crescent has once-a-day service. The northbound train leaves Charlotte at 2am. Yes, that is an ouch.
The bottom line is this. America needs to support and expand its passenger rail service, especially into high-speed rail and for those under-200 mile intercity distances. California has already taken a major step toward implementing a high-speed system, and several states/regions have ongoing preliminary studies. Since Tennessee has few intercity airline flights, the state could really use a service like The Tennessean used to offer. The airline and airport negatives are now outweighing the positives for trips under 600 miles. However, it will take federal shoving to get the disparate efforts working together. All this aside, train travel is one of the most energy efficient modes of travel. Hopefully, though, it won’t require a return to last summer’s soaring gasoline prices to make that point clearly understood. All aboard!
I've written a few pieces on Nashville's Music City Star commuter train, but my insight was limited by the fact that I had never before ridden the train.
On Friday, January 23rd I was in Nashville all day for a church meeting, so I made a point to go and make a round trip on the Music City Star.
The evening schedule makes it possible to leave Nashville's Riverfront Station at 5:45 p.m., arrive in Lebanon at 6:35 p.m., leave there fifteen minutes later and arrive back at Riverfront at 7:40 p.m.
I went down to the station, bought my round trip ticket ($10), and had about 30 minutes to kill before time to board the train.
I sat down in Riverfront Park and rekindled some old memories. As a young teenager I remembered being in this exact location waiting to board the Broadway Dinner Train for a trip to Old Hickory and back. I remember bumping along on the jointed-rails and wondering how the vintage railcars could possibly stay on the track.
While my dad spent time in the lounge car visiting with the grown-ups on board, I would hang my head out the window and sometimes brush against the vegetation hanging over the railroad.
In those day we dreamed of a time when this same railroad could serve daily commuters going to and from work in downtown Nashville. It took 15 years or better to make that happen, and here I was getting ready to experience the result of that huge endeavor - the Music City Star.
The train pulled in having just returned from the first trip out to Lebanon and back. The agent told me that a large crowed left on the earlier train, so this one would have fewer people.
In a few short minutes the two downtown shuttle buses pulled in to the station and unloaded the transferring passengers. It wasn't a crowd, but it was a fair number of people from just about every walk of life - hospital personnel in uniform, well-dressed office workers, and young people in street clothes.
Sitting on the train waiting for departure, I felt right at home. I always enjoy sitting on a train, but there was something special about a train filled with people talking in a Tennessee accent! I had never before had that experience!
Listening in on the various conversations throughout, I could tell that the people riding the Music City Star have become one big extended family. People know each other by name, and it seemed that conversations were picked up where they left off from the morning trip. The train, in my opinion, brings small town hospitality to our bustling capital city - something it definitely needs if you ask me!
The tracks on the old Nashville and Eastern still have a few bumps, but they are much smoother now than they were in the days of the Broadway Dinner Train. People got off at each of the stops we made, and I did notice several cars in each of the station parking lots. (The station at Martha was the only exception as it appears to be lightly used copared to the others.)
These commuter rail stations would make anybody proud. They're attractive, functional, and beautifully laid out. They are as good as any big city commuter rail stations I've seen, including those in and around Chicago.
I overheard a young fellow on the train explain to another commuter why he takes the train. "Even though has prices are down", he said, "I still save wear and tear on my car."
Some of the passengers read books, some listened to their i-Pods, some chatted with fellow passengers, and some simply gazed out the window.
The conductor told me that one of his regular passengers reported lower blood pressure since he started taking the train. The stress of driving in traffic, especially in bad weather, is the sole reason he takes the train instead.
After we arrived in Lebanon, a young couple walked up for their first trip ever. They were taking advantage of the Friday night special that makes a late-night return trip. This makes it possible for folks to take in the night life of Nashville's trendy Second Avenue district and then return home at a later hour.
Riding back I asked the Conductor to share some of his thoughts about what we've accomplished with the Music City Star and what the future may hold.
One of the biggest improvements would be to install the long-awaited turnout track in the Lebanon area so that the partial round trip between Riverfront and Mt. Juliet can be extended to Lebanon.
I myself would like to see the route get extended further into Wilson County. It would be an excellent way to revitalize the downtown districts in Lebanon and Watertown.
In any event, I am truly proud of what we have in Tennessee. The Music City Star is daily raising awareness of what transit-oriented development can do for our economy, our culture, and our way-of-life.
Now it's time to expand and do more with rail!
On July 7th I completed a 1500 mile journey on Amtrak to visit some old friends. My trip involved travel on the City of New Orleans, the Kansas City Mule, and the California Zephyr.
My journey began in Memphis with the late night departure of the City of New Orleans. I'm exceptionally proud that Memphis Central Station is such as fine place to catch a train. There's plenty of safe parking and the parking lot is directly adjacent to the railroad tracks - definitely no need for a parking shuttle here! The station is clean and attractive and the staff are helpful.
My only fuss with Central Station this evening is that the trackside platform was swarming with mosquitos! Note to self - pack some insect repellant next time!
The train arrived about 45 minutes late, which wasn't so bad. I settled into my seat, grabbed a little something to eat from the lounge car, and soon turned in for the night.
Unfortunately, I would not be getting a good night's sleep on this trip. At about 4:00 a.m. I would have to tumble out of seat, step off the train, and then board a connecting bus to St. Louis. Definitely not my "cup of tea".
I got a call from Amtrak a few days before my trip began informing me that I would not be boarding a train at St. Louis. I would be boarding a bus instead that would carry me to Jefferson City and there meet the train. Evidently the Union Pacific Railroad was doing major track repairs and did not have the capacity to run freight and passengers at the same time.
Normally this would not bother me, but seeing that I did not get much sleep on the train the night before, I really did not care to spend more time on a bus. Oh well...
The new station at St. Louis is a big improvement over the old one. It's cleaner and more comfortable and there's a hint of landscaping unlike at the old one. I understand that a new station is being built in St. Louis and that this "new" station will become a crew base office. Sounds like a wonderful plan!
Our bus left on time. The ride was very scenic as most of it was along the back roads instead of the Interstate. However, it's not much fun having a seat that barely reclines and not having access to a lounge.
We made all the station stops that the train normally makes before arriving in Jefferson City. The station at Jefferson City is barely adequate. With all the people changing from the bus to the train there was scarcely enough space. Instead of a station staff, this location has volunteers to help passengers get situated and on their way. It's a nice touch, but I believe that the capital city of Missouri deserves a paid staff.
Our train was due to arrive from Kansas City, drop off passengers going east, pick up all us westbounders, and then makes its return trip to Kansas City. This train was running nearly two hours late because all the railroad construction had the entire line completely choked up. Passengers were growing frustrated as we had almost nowhere to sit comfortably while waiting, especially in the hot weather!
The train did finally arrive and the station was extremely busy as people sorted themselves out between the train and the bus. I was so looking forward to a reclining seat and a visit to the lounge car; however, due to the truncated operation of this train, Amtrak did not bother to open the lounge car. It was a bummer of sorts, but Amtrak did send along a snack pack and bottled water for everyone. That certainly was better than nothing.
We arrived at Kansas City some two-and-a-half hours late. This was my first time ever going through Kansas City Union Station now that it has a new lease on life. Besides its renewed purpose as a train station, it's also a museum and a welcome center. Arriving here definitely gives you a great first impression of the city.
I went through Amtrak to reserve a rental car. I did not realize how convenient that was until I arrived. The rental car office is located in the hotel complex diagonally across the way from Union Station and you can walk there by way of an elevated, climate controlled walkway! It also helps that you get a special rate when you book through Amtrak. How nice!
I was so tired from my mix of bus and train connections that I phoned my friends in rural Kansas and told them I would be a day late. I got a hotel room so I could sleep, shower, and be a bit more rested when I arrived at my friends' house.
The next leg of my journey would take me from rural Kansas to an area just south of Omaha, Nebraska. Sadly, there is nary a hint of train service between these two areas (unless you want to spend two days making bus and train connections via Colorado!).
I initially planned to return my rental car, taxi over to the bus station, and board a Jefferson Lines bus to Omaha. I almost went through with this plan, but I am extremely apprehensive about bus stations, especially big city stations that are served by Greyhound. Also, Jefferson Lines has only one departure that would put into Omaha late at night.
I called the rental car agency to inquire if they could change my reservation and let me return the car I had to Omaha instead of Kansas City, but they would have to charge me a higher rate plus a convenience fee. I did not know what I was going to do, but just before I returned the car I figured it out.
It was cheaper for me to return the car I was driving and then rent a different car to drive one-way from Kansas City to Omaha. This would spare me from taking a bus and would get me to my friends' house about five hours sooner than I had initially planned.
After a few days with my friends in Nebraska, I ended up at the Omaha station for my return trip. Although they keep the Omaha station clean, it's in an out-of-the-way location that's a little sad and depressing. The station is dwarfed by the old Omaha Union Station and the old Omaha Post Office - two elegant but empty buildings. Maybe one day they'll breathe life back into these just like Kansas City did with their Union Station.
I expected the California Zephyr to be late, and sure enough it was. It was four-and-a-half hours late pulling into the station! I was definitely tired and frustrated, but so were the other passengers.
I was so grateful to settle into a seat and rest a little. I was also very glad to have full access to a lounge car and a dining car. The staff on this train was very friendly and helpful, but our late train only got later as the trip wore on.
I was getting nervous because I had to connect with the City of New Orleans in Chicago, and at the rate we were going I was going to miss my connection. It soon became inevitable that almost all of us on this train were going to miss our connections, so a couple of customer service agents boarded the train in Galesburg to help us get alternate transportation.
People traveling to Michigan and Milwaukee were given bus tickets, but those of us going longer distances had to be placed in hotel rooms and put on the next day's train. Fortunately, they gave us cash money for a taxi and for dinner.
Several of us on the train banded together and made the most of the situation. We all grouped together to share taxi rides and all of us went out on the town for a nice dinner and some entertainment. One group even put together a hospitality suite in one of the hotel rooms. We definitely made the most of it!
I actually enjoyed getting an extra day in Chicago with a free hotel room. The following morning I took my luggage to Union Station so I could store it and be free to walk around. While I was there, I made sure that I was booked for the sleeping car on my train that evening. I then went out and did some shopping and sightseeing and even caught a free concert in one of the downtown parks.
I returned to Union Station a few hours ahead of our train departure time. Since I was going first class I got to wait for the train in the Metropolitan Lounge. The lounge is bigger and has nicer appointments thanks to a recent renovation and expansion.
The southbound City of New Orleans left on time to the minute. My dinner in the diner was very good and I enjoyed visiting with a family returning home to New Orleans. They too were complimentary of the meal and the service.
I got a good night's rest before arriving in Memphis completely on time. My car was only a few steps away from the train!
Looking back on the trip I must say that every Amtrak employee I encountered was doing a truly fine job.
My biggest frustrations with the trip was the late operation of the Kansas City train and the California Zephyr; however, I understand that most of the trackwork is now completed on the Kansas City line and that the California Zephyr has switched to a more reliable schedule.
I only wish that the River Cities was still in operation so that passengers could get from Memphis to St. Louis and Kansas City without changing from a train to a bus and then back again.
Better yet, I wish we had a train to Nashville!