Rail Travel Works, But Needs Improvement

Editor, Times-Dispatch:

Recently I took a morning train from Alexandria to Richmond. With the high price of gasoline, the Amtrak fare was quite reasonable.

My business-class car let me plug in my laptop, and the schedule allowed me to do my business in downtown Richmond and return the same day with none of the hassles of flying. However, some things need to be fixed to make this a more acceptable alternative to driving.

(1) There were no cabs available at Amtrak's Main Street Station when my train came in. Hailing a cab on the nearby streets was impossible, since none drove by. There was no convenience phone in the station to call for a cab. So I had to walk to my destination.

(2) The Main Street Station has only one passenger track. My train was more than a half-hour late when it got to Richmond, so it had to wait on a siding while another Amtrak train passed in the other direction, and my arrival was in the end an hour late. On the return trip, again we waited on a siding for another train to pass before we could leave Richmond. Amtrak needs to have more redundancy in track availability.

(3) My trains in both directions used the same cars, which were badly in need of maintenance. There was a non-functional restroom in the business-class car and a smelly one in coach.

All in all, I'm glad I took the train, but with some minor improvements travel between Washington and Richmond would be much more pleasant.

John W. Cross. Alexandria.