OT: Amtrak train derails in Jackson
February 1st, 2012 at 6:27 PM ^
I figured Chicago to Ann Arbor was a good deal since it only cost $40 each way. My train got stuck by the freighters 10 minutes outside Chicago and made my 5 hour ride an 8 hour ride.
February 1st, 2012 at 6:54 PM ^
This train goes right through my hometown of Niles, MI, so during my four years at UM I rode this train home and back at least 6 times a year. It was cheap, especially with a student advantage card, but it was always-at minimum-an hour late, typically more.
February 1st, 2012 at 9:08 PM ^
My mom is a Niles High grad.
February 1st, 2012 at 6:35 PM ^
Having worked on the railroad, I was surprised at how many incidents there are at railway crossings. Also, it is relatively easy for a train to derail.
February 1st, 2012 at 7:54 PM ^
yeah they should put up signs or gates or flashing lights, maybe even bells or something
/s
February 1st, 2012 at 6:45 PM ^
It's just great to see that nobody died. Hopefully everyone physically recovers soon.
February 1st, 2012 at 7:00 PM ^
I absolutely hate Amtrak and that route because of numerous experiences I have had.
My best story: took the early train from Ann Arbor to Chicago and Chicago to Milwaukee. It was supposed to be about a 7 to 8 hour trip, but it ended up being 18. First, the train was 2 hours late to pick me up in Ann Arbor, then our trains engine broke down and we had to go in reverse for a few miles at a really slow speed, then the train ahead of us derailed in Chicago so we had to wait for a bus to pick us up in Gary, Indiana. Then that bus got hit by a taxi in Chicago. Then to top it all off, after making the last train from Chicago to Milwaukee, my train hits someone walking on the tracks and kills them (CSI came and it took 3 hours for them to do their investigation and clean up).
Thats my cool story bro...
February 1st, 2012 at 7:22 PM ^
alot of people fucked up that day
February 1st, 2012 at 8:57 PM ^
It's like your life was being an extra in a Final Destination movie
February 1st, 2012 at 9:16 PM ^
On that day, I'm hiding in my closet.
February 1st, 2012 at 9:36 PM ^
Maybe you should stay away from Michigan games, just to be on the safe side.
February 1st, 2012 at 10:15 PM ^
was seriously funny.
February 1st, 2012 at 7:05 PM ^
Was the guy it hit a 3* or 4*?
February 1st, 2012 at 7:28 PM ^
St Pattys day coming home our train ride was a 12 hour adventure due to a dead body on the tracks in Wayne. The train was stuck sitting there until the cops were done investigating the scene.
February 1st, 2012 at 7:48 PM ^
I just took this train over New Years, from Detroit to Chicago. Crazy, scary stuff.
February 1st, 2012 at 8:37 PM ^
This just in: The Derailed train was carrying Mark Dantonio's plans for dominating recruiting in the state of Michigan.
(glad to see no one was killed btw)
February 1st, 2012 at 8:42 PM ^
Man what is the deal with trains derailing? It seems like it happens really, really frequently, and it's always Amtrak.
Does this happen in Europe (where train travel is much more common) as often as it happens here? Does it happen on other railways here as much as it happens with Amtrak?
February 1st, 2012 at 8:51 PM ^
In the U.S. our infrastructure sucks ass.
February 1st, 2012 at 9:08 PM ^
No it doesn't. Most European countries invest actual money into their railroad infrastructure and upkeep. Trains in European countries routinely travel over 100 MPH without incident; Amtrak somehow manages to derail going 25 MPH through Jackson.
Even Amtrak's Northeastern Cooridor service looks like a poor man's imitation of, say, Germany's DB. We are probably the only industrialized nation where bus travel is actually more efficient.
February 1st, 2012 at 9:21 PM ^
Most of Europe are light-years ahead of the U.S. in train travel, as are parts of China and virutally all of Japan. I took a train while in London last year to Leicester and the entire experience was heavenly compared to the train options here in the states.
February 1st, 2012 at 8:52 PM ^
A few weeks back, had a 4.5-hour trip back from Chicago (that was actually running ahead of schedule) turn into a 10-hour nightmare outside of Battle Creek when a car ran into our locomotive. Yes, you read that correctly. . A car drove into the side of the train. 4 hours on the track before the buses showed up to take us into A2.
Last summer, had the same trip take about 11 hours when, supposedly, our train ran the equivalent of a train stop sign somewhere in Indiana. We were forced to sit there for about five hours while they drove in a new crew from Chicago and conducted an official investigation. We got in like a half hour ahead of the train that left Chicago five hours after we did.
I love Amtrak, it's a great way to get back and forth from Chicago, but it seems like these kinds of things are happening way more often than they should.
February 1st, 2012 at 9:18 PM ^
I took the Toledo/Chicago train for a little vacation. It was 40 minutes late into Toledo, but that's not bad. Smooth, easy ride. Perfectly on time in Chicago.
February 1st, 2012 at 10:50 PM ^
Ive rode the train from Detroit to East Texas. Wasnt that bad actually, had fun! Just stayed in the bar cart the whole time, slept in there too. It was a long ride, but drinking for 2 days on a train made it worth it.
February 2nd, 2012 at 11:58 AM ^
Detroit to East Texas? Hopefully you met a "train gf" like this lucky dog:
http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/ot-sugar-bowl-road-trip-stories#comment-1411547
February 1st, 2012 at 11:40 PM ^
Ive taken the Amtrak from Kzoo to Royal Oak probably about 20 times between my Frosh/Soph years until I got a car, and I've never experienced a single problem. Just bring the laptop and a season of Seinfeld and ,"that's gold Jerry, Gold!"
February 2nd, 2012 at 12:08 PM ^
With the new federal funding announced last year, trains between Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo will be able to increase their top speed from 60 to 79 mph! $150M to save 30 minutes!
http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2011/07/21/Michigan-to-buy-rail-line-for-high-speed-Amtrak.html