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Better By Rail
The Occidental Tourist · July 19, 2000

Last week, the Tourist shed light on the competitive alternative that Amtrak is presenting via Acela's electric, high-speed rail service.

The truth? Fed-up airline passengers are very curious. Whether they'd abandon air travel is questionable. But they sure would be more so inclined if the rail service proves to be a cost-efficient, convenient option. (And let him know whether you'd opt for a train instead of a plane at tourist@ticked.com, and don't forget your city/town of residence.)

Half of business travelers say they'd avoid airline travel if they could do business without it, and 63 percent say standard airline seats are uncomfortable, according to recent research from YP&B/Yankelovich Partners' 1999 National Business Travel Monitor.

The train amenities sound promising. With a total of 304 seats, there will be four business-class cars, one first-class car and a cafe car with pedestal seating, gourmet menu selections and beer on tap. (Say no more. The Tourist hates drinking from those dinky cans!)

Thirty-two tables throughout the train are available to spread out paperwork and hold meetings. Overhead storage bins will be enclosed and offer far more space than planes. Also, there will be luggage racks in each car for oversized bags. There's unrestricted use of cell phones and pagers. (Uh-uh. That could get ugly. The Tourist can only picture a cacophony of loud, obnoxious New Yorkers screaming into their hand toys, and peering over to each other with a "What are YOU lookin' at?!")

And don't worry about wearing out laptop batteries on long flights. Acela will feature AC outlets at each seat, as well as two channels of audio entertainment. The trains are considered all-weather reliable, with Amtrak noting that Logan International Airport already sends passengers its way when the airport closes for fog and snow.

The company is banking on Acela helping get it off federally subsidized welfare and claim fiscal independence. With the potential to expand nationwide, the electrified rail route will now provide for three-hour service between Boston and New York and two-hour, 45-minute service between New York and Washington. Already, Amtrak controls 70 percent of the air-rail market between New York and Washington, if commuters from Philadelphia, Baltimore and Wilmington, Del., are included.

One challenge is the business traveler's addiction to rental cars made readily available at airports. But Amtrak is working on that as well. Hertz is now providing rental services at 18 Amtrak locations and plans to add another 20 to Amtrak stations by 2000. Amtrak is upgrading its Web-linked reservation system to allow customers to book both train tickets and a car rental in one online visit.

Business travelers are intrigued with the concept, but are taking a wait-and-see stance. Waltham, Mass.-based traveler Mary Ingram feels that, if Amtrak tickets for New York/Boston were priced at under $100 roundtrip, it would be a tempting option.

"My hope is that it will be faster than driving and at the same time less expensive and less frustrating than flying," says Ingram, an account supervisor at an ad agency. "With airlines, you are asked to be at the airport an hour before the flight, late arrivals are common and it often takes another half an hour to retrieve checked luggage when you arrive ... You read about 'air-rage' these days and I do see people in airports fly off the handle often. There is an opportunity for high-speed rail to offer a more hassle-free trip."

But consider Alexandria, Va., lobbyist Jim McAvoy skeptical: "With (airlines) offering me 750 miles in each of their programs for a hop to N.Y., why would I use the train?"

The Occidental Tourist is a magazine writer in Washington, DC. He writes for Maxim, Capital Style and ABCNews.com. His column appears on Tuesdays. E-mail him at tourist@ticked.com.