Amtrak Rant - Part Deux

I’m currently using an Amtrak USA Rail Pass for the second time. This allows a passenger to ride the train up to ten times within 30 days at a much-reduced price. Unfortunately, there are drawbacks to traveling on Amtrak. One of the biggest is their trains are often not punctual . This past Thursday, a train I took to Los Angeles showed up in Tucson, Arizona 3½ hours late. It was supposed to arrive at 8:00 p.m. with an 8:15 departure time. When I checked my train status earlier that afternoon, it listed the same departure time. However, an added notice stated they were three hours behind schedule due to freight train interference and unscheduled track maintenance. My host in Tucson drove me to the Amtrak station just after 5:00 p.m. so I could check in my two larger bags before we went out for dinner. Strangely, the Amtrak employee insisted the train was running on time despite the schedule board stating it was eight minutes late. After dinner, my host dropped me off at the t...