April 16, 2022: Return to D.C.

Thursday's debacle left me in a bitter mood for a couple of days. Besides having a portion of my trip cut short, I wasn't happy with the way I was treated by Amtrak's crew in an emergency situation. All of us were confused and needed help, but no one took charge. Even a little empathy, or humor could have gone a long way for 200-plus weary passengers. And it didn't help that I was alone, and didn't have anyone to talk to.

Moving on, the rest of my trip ended up going pretty smoothly. My two flights Friday morning were on time, and I made it to Raleigh by noon. I was able to spend time with my family, and we celebrated Passover together that evening.

The last leg of my journey to D.C. wasn't anything I hadn't seen before. I got to the beautiful Raleigh Union Station around 9:30 a.m. Saturday, for my trip on train number 80, the Carolinian. The train was running about a half hour late, and I had time to relax in the station, which opened four years ago. 

As a Raleigh native, this station is a point of pride. It is housed in a repurposed warehouse, and is a significant upgrade from the small, cramped station that was across the tracks and was used for 32 years. The new station, long overdue, is ADA compliant and is one of the few stations in the South that  has raised platforms! I do hope the station gets some retailers soon. Perhaps the pandemic has slowed that development. 

My train arrived around 10:30 a.m., and we were off on our last leg. I've made this trip quite often since living in D.C., and always enjoy passing through Eastern North Carolina. You won't see Selma, Wilson or Rocky Mount from I-95, but you will from the window of a train.

Strangely, today's train wasn't as crowded as the others I was on. Maybe folks had already gotten their holiday travels in during the week. 

We made no unscheduled stops on our way to D.C., and went at least 65 mph most of the way. The train crossed the Potomac, and snuck its way through downtown D.C., heading into the First Street Tunnel under Capitol Hill. Both the Long Bridge over the river and this tunnel are more than 100 years old! Perhaps it's time for some improvements. But that's another subject.

The train arrived at Union Station right around 5 p.m. Passengers slowly made their way off the train, as it prepared for the diesel-to-electric locomotive swap that occurs here for northbound trains headed to New York. On the track next to us was that day's Silver Star, which had originated in Miami on Friday.

I ascended the escalator to the station and took in the plethora of trains and platforms one more time, before heading into the station, and to the Metro for my ride back to my home in the Maryland suburbs.

Two of the three train rides on this trip were a lot of fun. The third would have been great too if we had actually made it. But I still have a hollow feeling inside from having that opportunity taken away from me. I just can't wash the bad taste out of my mouth, despite all the good that I experienced on most of the trip. 

Train travel is a passion of mine I'm not deterred from riding trains in the future. I just wish the service was better and more reliable in America. I've resolved to go back at some point, and take the Silver Star north from Tampa to D.C. in order to complete the uncompleted leg of this trip. It will bring me closure, and give me an opportunity to see a few specific parts of North Carolina in the light of day, such as Hamlet and Southern Pines. I did pass through those towns on my way south, but it was at night so I wasn't able to enjoy the scenery. Perhaps another blog post to come. Until then, signing off.