Ride Amtrak, expect delays

The Washington Post reports that more people are riding Amtrak trains but on time arrivals are less frequent.

Though many trains do run on time, or close to it, rail passengers frequently find themselves stuck in travel purgatory, because some unforeseen situation has tripped up Amtrak: A sluggish freight train is blocking the way; the engine's power source has conked out; a ne'er-do-well cow has wandered onto the tracks; there's cleanup on Track 1. The causes are legion, the delays legendary.

"It's a love-hate situation," said Jim Wrinn, editor of Trains magazine. "There's this promise of a really nice ride and experience, but it's really not there."

Still, many starry-eyed travelers continue to harbor hope that their Amtrak trip will succeed, especially now that the other modes of transportation are failing us.

Read the full story: Amtrak ridership is up, but passengers grouse about frequent delays

Photo by Jennifer Beeson Gregory / The Washington Post