I like to travel by train, or at least I think I do. I have basic requirements, though; I want to be able to sit down, in a seat, and the temperature should not be freezing or boiling hot. I have boarded a train with a reservation for seating, and had to sit on my suitcase. The temperature on some trips has been really cold; other times, the air conditioning did not seem to exist, as on one trip I took alone to Rochester and the temperature had to be at least ninety degrees. On a trip to Florida, the train stopped in its overnight journey and the sleeping car I shared with my three-year-old son seemed to fill with exhaust fumes, and I had a panic attack, feeling like I couldn't breathe.
Over the years, I've learned to accommodate to railroad conditions. I bring a jacket, I carry a water bottle, and I pre-arrange for seating. Age helps in that respect. I refuse to think of terrorists on the train, and I don't want to picture the train leaving the tracks. So, yes, I like to travel by train.
On my latest trip by rail, it was easy to forget about security issues. The only security measure I perceived was the conductor's warning not to fall into the gap between the platform and the train. We witnessed that once; a woman, getting off the train, fell right down into the space below. They got her out, can't remember her condition.
Some areas served by Amtrak appear to be sorely in need of funding. The Framingham station, for example, has been abandoned, and passengers board directly from the area along the tracks. Moreover, you have to go up and over the tracks to get on. There is an elevator, but it was broken, maybe hadn't worked in years. I was hand-in-hand with a small child so we counted the steps as we walked to my train, 42 steps up and 42 steps down. I think the only saving grace was that I've been climbing 100 steps a day as rehabilitation for my knee. That, combined with adapting to a child's pace, made it not too strenuous. It also helped that my son carried my luggage.
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