The Passengers

The train was sold out – probably, eventually, between 200 and 300 people, maybe more. I would describe the passengers as a cross between typical airline passengers and typical bus riders. They were quite a diverse lot – some traveling to relatively close destinations – Sacramento, Truckee, Reno – and others going further – Denver, Chicago, Detroit, New York, Boston. They included families with young and teenage children, 20s and 30s backpacker types, and seniors – couples, groups, and singles. I noticed several groups of grandparents with grandchildren. That seemed like a fun way to spend time together and see the country. Everyone had an assigned seat, but roaming around was permitted and the observation/lounge car was always available on a first-come, first-served basis. I mostly hung out in the observation car due to the abundance of windows. The cars are double-deckers; so, the vistas through the windows are, at times, spectacular. Access to the upper level required negotiation of narrow stairways with a couple turns, which posed challenges for many people, especially those with mobility issues or lots of luggage that they wanted close by. Amtrak needs to consider designing more accessible cars.

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