seat61.com (international rail)

Post Reply New Topic

The Man in Seat 61 (www.seat61.com) is a site devoted to international rail, written by a guy who has travelled on railways all over the world, knows everything there is to know about international rail, and the website is very comprehensive.

Well, I heard today from someone that the traveller is an Aspie. Does anyone know if this is true? I'm intrigued, as I have avidly looked at this site myself and am travelling by rail in America this year.

Seeing that you're from Europe you might be a little disappointed in the American railway system. We're all personal cars and freeways here in America. I think Obama wants to improve our railway system but I don't know if he has enough public support for it. Hope you enjoy your trip to America

I have forwarded this question to the man is seat 61 himself.
Hopefully, he will soon provide us with the requested information.

Here is the man is seat 61's answer:

"A common diagnosis for anyone with a capacity for detail and especially an interest in trains... In fact, it's the travel rather than the trains as hardware that interests me, and I can't say I've ever been diagnosed with Aspergers! Though maybe there's some mild traits there somewhere...

Best wishes,
Mark."

Doesn't sound all that different from the UK then........they keep saying they're going to improve it (to entice the motorists off the roads and onto public transport, to reduce carbon emissions), but I don't think it's going to happen. The trains sort of run on time (except on Sundays), but a lot of them are hideously overcrowded, and expensive despite subsidies from the taxpayer. And a lot of the smaller towns aren't served by rail at all.

While America's rail system used to be extensive, it's now a far, far thinner network than ours. Ours was cut down around the 1960's mainly, but America's even more drastically. No small towns over there are served by rail unless they happen to be on routes between major cities, which are the only routes that have been retained.

Following on to what Keeno said, the Eastern seaboard has a much better train system then the west coast of the US. Other than southern California putting in the Coaster (I've riden on the Coaster and it was great) , no one uses trains on the west coast as a way to comute to and from work. Most people only use trains for vacation and that would be because you want to ride a train. Here it is much cheaper and faster to fly even though Amtrak is subsidised by the government.

I have been told that the train route that goes through the rocky mountains is beautiful. I really want to do it but it is expensive.

What part of the US are you visiting?

I am actually doing a coast-to-coast trip. From New York to California and back, by different routes. So, I won't be in any one area for long, which is a regret, but despite the sheer proportion of time I will be on trains I prefer that to restricting myself to one place.

The route westward will be through the southern states. The return route, eastward, will take in the aforementioned Rocky Mountain route. That is the California Zephyr (San Francisco - Chicago).

Very cool trip!

I am crazy with train trips ! But till now, I have only travelled in europe with train ! But i would like to travel by transibrerian. Has anybody done that ? ?