Riding The Rails Sit Back, Relax And Let Amtrak Take Away The Worries Of The Road

A dozen elk amble through an icy stream as we climb toward the Continental Divide. A dusting of snow lingers on nearby meadows, and the jagged slopes of the Montana Rockies rise high above.

All it would take to make this view perfect is a second cup of breakfast coffee … and here comes the waiter now.

America’s national passenger railroad, Amtrak, has its problems, but the ride skirting the south side of Glacier National Park isn’t one of them. Each curve, seen from the generous window of the dining car, brings a new panorama: another mountain, another lake, another forest, before the green trees and white meadows abruptly give way to the dusty brown plains of central Montana.

These views, however, are becoming harder to get. Amtrak is heavily subsidized by the federal government and has cut back service twice in the past six months to save money. The Empire Builder, which runs from Seattle and Portland to Chicago, through Spokane and Sandpoint, now operates only four days a week. Many other trains also have seen service cuts, though the Coast Starlight - which runs from Seattle to Los Angeles and is Amtrak’s most popular train - has retained seven-day service.

These threats to Amtrak are among the reasons that I found myself on an eastbound train a few weeks ago, having lunch with Al Neuharth, the retired chairman of the Gannett newspaper chain and the founder of USA Today.

His “TrainCapade” was touring the United States for six weeks, with local politicians, media types and celebrities invited to ride along. The intent was to give Neuharth fodder for his weekly newspaper column and to give Amtrak some badly needed publicity.

“We need all the friends we can get,” says Tracy Davis, an Amtrak employee riding along with us. “A lot of people think Amtrak is gone. Well, we’re still here.”

Neuharth has a private car at the back of the train, with an adjacent crew car to house his assistant and the Amtrak employees riding along. Ironically, this contributes to our train being late - a perennial Amtrak problem - because the extra cars require more jockeying in Spokane when the Portland and Seattle segments of the Empire Builder are joined into one train for the run to Chicago.

The nature of trains, unfortunately, means that if a trip begins and ends at a civilized hour, people getting on in the middle won’t find the times very convenient. So in Spokane, for example, you can catch the eastbound Empire Builder at 1:30 a.m. Or you can catch the westbound train at 2:10 a.m.

But the rewards for doing so are many - primarily, at least for me, the enforced relaxation. Once you’re on the train, you’re on the train. You’ve got no decisions to make until it’s time to get off. The seats are wide and soft with acres of leg room (much more space than offered by a firstclass airline seat). You can walk around. You can get a drink or a snack when you want it, instead of having to wait for a harried flight attendant. You can eat a civilized meal at a real table, served by a real waiter (though not all is perfect in the dining car; more on that later).

But mostly you’ve got what has become the ultimate luxury in our hurried world: hours and hours and hours of time to do absolutely nothing at all.

Another good reason for riding the rails, of course, is the scenery. You get angles and perspectives not seen by car, whether it’s peering over a cliff or looking up at a mountain. Eastbound on the Empire Builder, the sun is up (in summer, anyway) by the time you reach Montana, which means spectacular views of the Rockies. The Coast Starlight also features a variety of mountain scenery through Oregon and Northern California, and runs very close to the Pacific between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

And last but not least is the price. Even amid airline fare wars, Amtrak is a travel bargain.

The railroad is currently promoting its All Aboard America fares. Under this plan, the country is divided into three zones: West, Central and East. Travel for 30 days within one zone, with unlimited stopovers, is only $138 for adults through June 15.

You’ll pay extra, however, for meals aboard the train, though you can buy snacks and box lunches if you’d prefer to avoid the pricier dining car. And if you want a sleeping compartment, the price rises by several hundred dollars.

Most passengers sleep in their chairs - not as brutal as it sounds, since there are pull-out leg rests and Amtrak provides pillows.

“It’s an easy way to travel,” says Karen Torpey, 24, who was recently traveling on Amtrak from Washington, D.C., to visit friends in Whitefish, Mont. “It’s a lot nicer than driving. You don’t have to pay attention. You don’t have to worry about where to stay.”

“You get the chance to sit back and relax and take it easy,” agreed Jim Welter, 62, who was riding from Havre, Mont., to see his mother-inlaw in Whitefish. He takes Amtrak four to five times a year (it’s the only form of public transportation for much of Montana).

His only complaint: not enough seats on the train. “A lot of times, they’re sold out,” Welter said.

Amtrak clearly has a loyal legion of fans, and a cynic would say that its 24,000 miles of routes serve enough congressional districts to ensure that it will never disappear. But the railroad clearly has problems, not all of them its fault.

Amtrak is often late - not minutes late, but hours late. Its occasional derailments make headlines (though usually Amtrak is not to blame; it operates on rail lines maintained by other companies). And its level of on-train service won’t be confused with the Orient Express.

On the westbound segment I rode, from Havre back to Spokane, by the time the final customers were being served dinner, the dining car had run out of two of the four entrees, as well as baked potatoes, two desserts and ice cream. The prime rib was a decent cut of meat, but served barely above room temperature, and a fellow diner’s chicken - actually a game hen - was so freezer-burned that he couldn’t eat it. The waiter was abrupt almost to the point of rudeness, and was clearly more interested in quitting work for the day than in angling for a tip.

(On the bright side, breakfast was competent, and dining-car prices are not unreasonable for a captive audience: typically around $5 for breakfast and lunch, $12 to $15 for dinner; there’s even a veggie menu).

The smoking situation aboard the train is also not satisfactory. The observation car, which has lounge chairs, broad windows, and where videos are shown in the evening, is one-third smoking, two-thirds nonsmoking.

The result, of course, is an entire car that’s full of smoke.

Otherwise, smoking is allowed only in the private compartments, but the aroma also spreads to nearby rooms, and is likely to be extremely annoying for anyone who has paid a hefty premium for this luxury. Bringing back the old-fashioned smoking car might be a better solution.

But there’s still a lot to like about Amtrak (though I wouldn’t particularly recommend it for children, who aren’t likely to value scenery or hours of empty time as much as their parents).

The ride is mostly comfortable, the scenery is great … and the price is fantastic - at least before the next round of budget cutting.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: IF YOU GO Amtrak has stops in Spokane and Sandpoint, both with inconvenient departure times at night. Reservations are almost essential, especially for sleeping compartments, which are booked far in advance.

Costs: Amtrak’s All Aboard Fares divide the country into three zones: West, Central and East. Through June 15, the fare for unlimited travel for 30 days through one zone is $138; then it rises to $178 through Aug. 20. For two zones, the fare is $188, then $248; for three zones, it’s $228 or $298. Children 2 to 15 traveling with an adult are half price. Seniors (62 and older) receive a 15 percent discount. Sleeping cars cost extra. From Spokane to Chicago, for example, an “economy” sleeper for two people is an additional $308, including all meals aboard. A family room that sleeps two adults and two children is $538. A deluxe bedroom for two people that includes a private bathroom with shower is $675.

Routes: The Empire Builder to and from Chicago runs four days a week, with departures from Seattle on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. The Coast Starlight from Seattle to Los Angeles runs seven days a week.

New service: Amtrak is resuming rail service between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia, on May 26; tickets can be purchased now. The train is the highspeed, Spanish-built Talgo that has been used experimentally between Seattle and Portland. Fares are extremely attractive, compared to air. One-way from Seattle to Vancouver is $24; round trip is $36 (or $32 for travel from Monday through Thursday).

More information: For information and reservations call Amtrak at (800) USA-RAIL. Or contact a travel agent, who should have brochures and other information. Anmtrak also has a variety of vacation packages that include rail travel, tours and accommodations. For information, also see a travel agent or call (800) 321-8684.