Portlandia

[unimaginative2]

It's got free wifi, for one.

They have that on VIA!

It's great. The most "european" train experience I've had in North America by far. The train is pretty fast (though it really slows down in some spots). I bought a coach ticket, which was fine, but the lack of assigned seating ahead of time is embarrassing.

The average speed is still pretty low on Cascades but it will get better with the recent stimulus funding. The car interiors look fantastic in pictures, unlike the stunningly utilitarian Amtrak cars elsewhere.

 

[CDL.TO]

The average speed is still pretty low on Cascades but it will get better with the recent stimulus funding. The car interiors look fantastic in pictures, unlike the stunningly utilitarian Amtrak cars elsewhere.

True. It's about the same as driving, which is well below the potential of a train, but I never got frustrated at the slow speed like I often do in NA.

The interiors were fairly plain... standard for Europe. I walked to the bistro car and turned around and went back to my seat because the line for service stretched into the next car.