RAIL readers have their say on:
Amtrak comfort
Rail‘s future
Island Line
Freight interchanges
Dawlish
Reversing Beeching
Graffiti blight
Embankments
Railway planning
Tribute to W E Hayward
I recently had the great privilege of travelling on the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner between Los Angeles and San Diego - and what an utterly pleasurable experience it was.
The journey takes about three hours, about the same time as a Great Western Railway service from Swansea to Paddington. But what a difference.
The Surfliner carriages are double deck, with the main seating on the top deck and further seating and ample luggage and bicycle space on the lower. The seats were amazingly comfortable with sufficient leg room, even for a tall person. And GWR please note: there was a kitchen diner and a cafe coach within the rake of seven.
What I found so refreshing was that we were treated as human beings, with attentive friendly guards and conductors who took time to alight at every station to help and advise those boarding. Where do we see that on British trains?
On arrival at San Diego I felt no stress, had enjoyed breathtaking views, and sampled a very appetising brunch.
On returning to Britain, I encountered the awful Intercity
Express Programme Class 800 to Swansea. Two silly five-car formations joined together (why doesn’t GWR have more nine-car formations?), cramped and full carriages with standing room only, no buffet trolley and no sign of a guard - only a disjointed voice every now and again over the speakers.
Above all, those dreadful seats which are akin to ironing boards! Compared with my Amtrak journey, it was a totally uncomfortable, disgraceful shambles.
I would therefore invite GWR executives to travel to California and experience the Surfliner. I would hope that the experience would totally embarrass them, with passengers treated not as cattle, but as real people.